Pegasus In A Field Of Spring
by xXRottWeilerXx
Summary: "I chose to kill, Dino-san."
1. Prologue

**Pegasus In A Field of Spring**

 **A/N: Please pardon my naming sense. I always have a hard time naming my stories. Originally I love HibaHaru, and I am working on fics of this pairing. But right now I can't help but write up a Dino x Haru fic, because I think that these two might look good together. I don't know, it's just a whim on my part. I just hope that you guys would like it too, and please be kind because this is my second time writing a KHR fanfic, after my first was shot down rather harshly. I prefer not to dwell on it too much. So enjoy! ^^**

Please take note: _Italics are flashbacks. 'this is for inner thoughts'_

Rating for now is T, but will change to M in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and the characters.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _There he was again, at the ever-famous Vongola Headquarters in Italy. Brown eyes scanned the area, finding the star of that very dinner party standing in the middle of the garden with Vongola Nono's hand on his shoulder. Timoteo was probably introducing the next in-line to be Vongola Decimo to the couple standing in front of him, who were old friends of the aging mafia boss. As usual, Tsuna was smiling kindly and trying to keep up with the conversation, and Dino could hear the broken Italian of the young Vongola successor. A chuckle escaped his lips when the younger man, now eighteen, caught sight of him and gave a wobbly smile. Poor guy._

" _Wine, Sir Cavallone?"_

 _The blonde man declined the offer of red wine from a passing server, and quickly made his way towards Tsuna. By that time Tsuna was somehow relieved of the company of Vongola Nono and his old friends._

" _Thank heavens you're here, Dino-san."_

 _The Cavallone Decimo smiled at the greeting, feeling a wee bit happy that his presence could offer some relief for the future mafia boss, if only a bit. He patted Tsuna's shoulder, giving a thumbs up._

" _You're doing great. Happy birthday, you're now eighteen. Man, you're all grown up!"_

 _Tsuna chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am. Ah, there they are."_

 _Dino followed Tsuna's line of vision as the Japanese teenager waved at a pair of women heading their way. He saw Kyoko, all dressed up in a peach cocktail dress. She turned a few heads as she waved back at Tsuna, and Dino could really see why. He nodded at her as she stopped a couple of feet from Tsuna, and that was when he noticed another person coming from behind Kyoko._

 _For a moment, it felt as if someone had punched him in the guts and the air was knocked out of him. He had always thought that Haru Miura was pretty, even if she was a little weird at times. But describing her as pretty that evening was an understatement. The strapless emerald green dress she wore hugged her perfectly, and the skirt ended just above her knees. The edges fluttered and brushed her legs as a gentle wind blew past them, and the light from the garden lamps reflected by the small emerald cuttings in her earrings made her look even more beautiful._

 _He plucked a glass of_ _Dom Pérignon from a passing tray, and tried to calm himself down by sipping on some of the champagne. Someone's kid bumped into her, and she leaned down for a bit as she helped the seven-year old boy to his feet. That was when he noticed the thin necklace and the glinting emerald pendant resting in the middle of her chest, and understood what Reborn had meant when he said, 'Haru is growing up well these days.' From the rim of the glass, his eyes swept over Haru again, and found that time really did some good to her figure. He cleared his throat and used a hand to subtly loosen the knot on his necktie._

' _Shit.' He swallowed._

 _He's got it bad. Real bad. If Romario had been there, he would never hear the end of it._

" _Sorry, we were kind of lost on the way here, Tsuna-san. Kyoko-chan had to call for a cab. Oh, and good evening Dino-san."_

 _His eyes smiled before his lips could even follow as Haru brought up a hand for a handshake. He nodded and reached for her outstretched hand, which was a bit chilly, he noted._

" _Looking good tonight, girls. What happened to the others?"_

 _Kyoko was about to answer when Timoteo came by to greet the girls._

" _Ah, Miss Kyoko and Miss Haru! I take it that you're enjoying this party?"_

 _Haru grinned. "We actually just got here because we were lost for a moment, but I have a feeling we'll enjoy this evening. Thank you for inviting us along, Nono-boss. You have a nice garden! Look, you even have a fountain over there!"_

 _The elder mafia boss laughed, one hand on his stomach and the other holding his cane. His face beamed at hearing the fluent Italian coming from Haru. The first he met them they had been struggling to communicate. To make so much progress over a short period of time delighted him._

" _As always Miss Haru, you never cease to put a smile on me. And Miss Kyoko too, I see you are even prettier today."_

 _Dino watched silently as the current Vongola boss talked and shared stories of his recent escapade to Milan with the two girls and Tsuna. Haru's eyes lit up when a server offered her a tray of mini quiche and took two pieces. The delight in her face showed the instant she popped the mini pie into her mouth. He declined when she offered him her second quiche, content just watching her._

" _I envy you Tsunayoshi. Look, you have two nice girls by your side. Why don't you have a girlfriend yet?"_

 _He nearly choked on the second glass of champagne he was drinking at the moment, and automatically his eyes darted to the three young adults. Tsuna scratched the back of his head, his shock of brown hair rustling a bit as he did so. His ears were painted red, and anyone could see the blush on his cheeks._

" _W-Well... I uh..."_

 _Dino mentally sighed. It sucked to be Tsuna._

 _Vongola Nono raised his brows._

" _Well, I guess you do have a person in mind don't you?"_

 _He watched as the young Vongola laughed sheepishly, and glanced at Kyoko. The youngest Sasagawa looked back at him, and they ended up smiling shyly at each other. The Ninth let out an amused chuckle as he saw the interchange between the two blushing youths._

" _Aaah, forget I ever asked that."_

 _Dino brought the glass to his lips, and he shifted his eyes onto Haru. He saw the smile on her lips falter a fraction when she saw the exchange that transferred between her other two friends, even as Timoteo moved onto another topic, oblivious of her inner turmoil._

" _I do think that we need to do more of this kind of gathering, don't you think so, Miss Haru?"_

 _He watched from his position next to the elder Vongola, as that small falter in the corner of her lips came back when she replied to Nono's query._

" _Eh? Yes! Yes, of course! I mean, what better way to celebrate good things?"_

 _A server came by with a tray of the mini quiche, and she took three pieces, stuffing one into her mouth after another until her mouth was full. Kyoko took out a napkin from her purse and wiped at the crumbs on the brown-haired woman's face. Kyoko's lips, which were lightly tinted with pink, stretched up into a smile as she finished wiping off a crumb._

" _Haru-chan, were you hungry?"_

 _Haru swallowed and nodded a little bit too eagerly. "Yes, yes I am. I guess I should um... maybe grab something to eat."_

" _Ah, then let's go and try the cakes?"_

 _Haru replied all too quickly, her feet already edging away from their circle._

" _No, it's okay. I mean, we finally came here after months, and you finally get to see Tsuna-san, right? So why don't you guys sit somewhere and you know, talk about… things."_

 _Tsuna smiled at her. "Thank you, Haru."_

 _Haru made a mock salute and excused herself from the group again, her figure quickly disappearing into the crowd of guests._

" _So um, Dino-san, I'll see you again in a bit alright?"_

 _The Cavallone boss nodded and watched on wordlessly when Tsuna walked away to where he assumed to be a private section of the manor, Kyoko's hand held in his bigger one. A blonde-haired woman waved at the two as they passed the fountain in the centre of the courtyard, and then they disappeared as well._

 _Dino scratched the back of his neck, and contemplated whether he should look for Haru._

' _And do what? Geez, Dino. You really shouldn't butt into her business.'_

 _So he stayed there, making idle conversations with the other guests, joking around with his subordinates, until he felt like he should really go and check up on her._

* * *

 **Four years later….  
**

* * *

Romario frowned as he checked the time on his watch. It was late, but it seemed that the person behind the heavy oak door was still working in his trusted office. He nodded to the two guards standing vigilant by either sides of the dark oak that had a silver plate with the name Cavallone Decimo engraved on it and pinned to the door.

"I'll take over from here on out."

They were reluctant at first, especially the newbie fifteen-year old boy that had just joined in the early spring.

"B-But I'm just fine. I mean, I want to be useful to Boss, and I want to wait until he finishes, no matter how long."

The boy swallowed as Romario stood in front of him silently, watching the young man with an unreadable expression. The boss' right-hand man gave a small smile and patted the young boy's shoulder.

"The boss would cry if he knew I kept you standing outside his door and miss your sleep. Go, take a rest and be ready for tomorrow."

The boy nodded, a bit bummed but understood Romario's intentions.

He waited until the two young figures disappeared when he pushed open the door, finding Dino burying his nose in paperwork. Closing the door, Romario stopped in his tracks when his boss spoke from behind the desk.

"I'm not that much of a crybaby, Romario."

Chuckling, Romario walked towards the windows and pulled the curtains closed. He was used to that excuse. Dino looked up from the last batch of papers for the night, unsatisfied that his right-hand man did not seem to acknowledge his statement.

"So, what brings you here? I thought I told you I would finish late."

"I have a letter for you. From Vongola Decimo."

At the mention of Tsuna, he quickly put aside the report he had been reading but hadn't been able to understand, and waited for Romario to continue. The older man pulled out a letter with the Vongola seal stamped on it and placed it onto the desk.

"Do you remember when you requested for a helping hand for an upcoming mission? Someone who is nimble and light on his feet, as well as someone who excels in security hacks?"

Dino's face lightened up as Romario brought out the special letter, and immediately proceeded to open it. He watched as Dino's eyes moved over the words on the letters, and a small smile painted his face as he saw those brown eyes peek up at him.

"No way."

Romario nodded. "Yes way."

The thirty-year old man put down the letter and rubbed the back of his neck. Not looking up from the paper with the Vongola Seal, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Are they seriously sending her here?"

"… I thought you'd be happy. To see her again after so long."

He looked up from his table. "…I am, but…"

"Do you doubt her skills? She _is_ one of their best other than the six guardians, despite not having a ring."

"I know that."

"Then what's the problem?"

Dino sighed. "Nah, nothing. Nothing at all."

He stood up to stretch, and yawned as he headed towards the oak door.

"You know what, I guess I'm retiring for the day."

Romario nodded, and followed his boss out of the office. He raised a brow as Dino stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, could you perhaps arrange a room for her when she gets here?"

"Alright boss."

Dino rubbed the back of his neck, and wondered about Haru. The Japanese woman would be 22 when they meet again. The last time he saw her, she had been wearing a light blue bridesmaid dress, concealing the gun she had strapped onto her hip. She always had one on her, ever since she joined the mafia. He still remembered the light makeup she had on to mask the tear marks, tears that only _he_ had seen hours before the reception.

He brought up a hand to open the door to his room, and quickly shrugged out of his shirt as soon as he shut the door behind him, followed by his pants. Being in only his boxers, he crawled into his king-sized bed and lied down in the middle with his arms spread. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he relaxed into the comforts of the blankets.

That wedding reception night had left him with mixed feelings.

He had been happy to see Tsuna marrying the girl of his dreams, but he had also felt sad when he saw Haru with that big grin on her face as she danced happily with a teenage Lambo.

* * *

 _Dino sighed as he plopped into a seat next to Romario by the bar, and downed the shot of scotch he ordered seconds ago._

" _Did you see Haru anywhere?"_

" _Saw her by the fountain a while ago, eating cake."_

"… _Okay. Thanks Romario."_

 _Romario cleaned his glasses, and put it back onto his face. "Not going to see her?"_

 _The Decimo shrugged. "…And say what?"_

"… _I don't know either. But it looked like she needed someone to talk to."_

" _I want to help her, but I don't know how."_

 _Dino didn't know when the feelings started. They haven't been talking to each other much before. That was until Haru officially started working under Vongola when she turned sixteen. He knew she wasn't combat material, she probably didn't know how to hold a gun let alone fire one for self-defense. But he had been surprised to see her climbing into his office through the balcony, four stories above ground level to deliver a parcel from the Ninth Vongola boss. He had heard the sound of something knocking against the window, and had to rub his eyes just to be sure if he was dreaming when he saw her perched there, grinning and holding a small parcel with the Sky Flame seal on it._

 _Since that first encounter, she had been entering his office the same way for the following year. When she turned seventeen, she started using the normal route, going through the front door while Romario escorted her. Dino would put aside his work and spend some time chatting with her, and the maids would bring in tea and some cake, and Haru would always finish them. She would use some of the tea-time learning to perfect her Italian, and Dino would always lend her a new book for her to read up on to help brush up on the language._

 _And Romario would let them. Because he knew the young Cavallone boss needed some time to rest and relax, and without Haru then his beloved boss wouldn't really stop at anything to finish his work unless threatened by the head maid._

 _Which was why it didn't sit well with him to see Haru smiling a little less lately._

" _Romario… I guess I should go to her. Right?"_

" _Right."_

 _The Cavallone Decimo immediately went to the aforementioned fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The area was empty then, most of the guests were inside the mansion. The bright lights from around the fountain lit up the otherwise dark courtyard, and there he found a woman in a green dress looking at the reflection of lights bouncing off the surface of the water._

" _Haru." He called out._

 _She turned around then, and he saw the glass of wine in her hands. If it wasn't because of the well-lit fountain and the lights bouncing off the surface of the water, he wouldn't have noticed the slight flush on her cheeks. Wordlessly, he took the glass from her hands and placed it onto a nearby stand._

" _How many have you had?"_

 _Haru smiled. "Not many."_

" _How many, Haru?"_

 _She pouted, and held up two fingers. "Only two. Geez, can't I have a little fun?"_

" _You're underage. You should know better."_

 _Her pout disappeared, and was replaced with a small smile. She glanced at the people in the manor, laughing happily and congratulating the eighteen-year old Tsuna on his birthday. Dino followed her line of sight and they saw some guests say something that made both Kyoko and the future Decimo to blush._

" _Yeah, you're right. I should know better. They suit each other, why do I even bother hoping?"_

 _She turned away from the scene, and opted to watch the ripples on the water surface._

" _I thought by drinking I would feel better. I was stupid."_

 _Dino rubbed the back of his neck, and cleared his throat. He reached out a hand and took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. Haru turned to him, a questioning look on her face._

" _Dino-san?"_

" _I'm sorry."_

 _It took her a few seconds, when she laughed softly. "What are you sorry for?"_

" _Well, cause I know seeing them together hurts you."_

 _She squeezed his hand a little. "You don't have to be sorry, I'm not hurt."_

" _I'm sorry… cause I can't say that Tsuna is a bad guy. If he was a bad guy then I could at least punch him for hurting you."_

 _Haru shook her head. She bit her lip as she felt the oncoming tears._

" _I told you, you don't… you don't have to be sorry… I'm not hurt."_

" _I'm sorry."_

 _She didn't let go of his hand as she cried. "I don't mean to cry… Dino-san, I don't…"_

 _He watched on silently as she brought up her other hand to wipe off her tears. When it seemed that her hand couldn't keep up with the tears, he pulled her to him._

" _You're hurting aren't you, Haru."_

 _He felt her nod, and he let her cry._

" _It's hurts, Dino-san. It hurts."_

* * *

He sighed as he turned on his right side, trying to sleep but could not. It still bothered him how she managed to convince Tsuna that she had no romantic feeling towards the Decimo. Maybe it was the way she acted silly around others most of the time, that made the people around her forget how strongly she felt for the Vongola heir. Most of them would think that her continuous proclamations of love were just to annoy Gokudera and fool everyone into believing that she just really loved Tsuna as a good friend. The constant grins and smiles managed to secure the belief that Haru Miura was just a ditsy girl who loved to joke around and had no worries of her own.

Though mostly people believed that Haru was alright with the news of her beloved Tsuna dating Kyoko, Dino knew there were also others who knew her enough to know that she really was hurting inside. Bianci, Reborn and even the selfish Lambo knew the underlying pain in her eyes as she laughed happily and smiled at the wedding.

He remembered that later on that night when he had stood with her at the balcony, as he had watched her close her eyes and let the wind blow against her face, he had the strong urge to hug her and say everything was going to be okay. That there will be a person who would love her unconditionally and be with her until she grows old.

That _he_ would be that person if she would let him.

But he had refrained himself from doing so, and ended up patting her head like he always did when she had been the sixteen year old delivery girl.

" _You're a good person, Haru."_

She had smiled then, and for a moment, the smile was earnest and real. _"Thank you, Dino-san."_

Three months after that, he had received news that Haru and her father were kidnapped by an up-and-coming syndicate. They were saved in time, not that he doubted Tsuna and his team, but what happened after that was one thing he could never forget.

The last time she came to deliver a sealed document from Tsuna had been more than a year ago, and that was the last time he saw of Haru. She had been wearing black leather gloves, and left as soon as she arrived. There were no more idle chat, no more cakes and tea. Her Italian was fluent, albeit the hint of the tell-tale accent of a non-native speaker.  
he had watched her bid farewell, and walked out of the door.

And never once, did he ever see her smile.


	2. Chapter 1: Tears

**Pegasus In A Field of Spring**

 **A/N: Thank you for those who read this fic, and thanks a bunch to those who faved, followed and even left a review. I haven't written anything in quite a long time, so I'm sorry if there were some errors, grammatical or otherwise. Enough of my ramblings, I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter.**

 _Flashbacks_

' _inner thoughts'_

Rating for now is T, but will change to M in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyou Hitman Reborn.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Tears Are For the Ignorant**

For the most part of his thirteen years of life, Lambo had only known a handful of women who were not affected by his charm as a young, refreshing and beautiful young man. Most women would blush and stammer a response when he flirted with and complimented them. Even when he was practically still in his early teen years, he was able to capture many hearts. That was how he rolled, and he was proud of it.

But of course, when it came to the women of Vongola, his charms were practically nonexistent. Nana was of course out of the question, and Bianci would be too scary, so he would always make sure to avoid her. But it bummed him how his daily doses of awesomeness and sweet flattery - which women of all age would have killed to hear – did not stir any kind of response from the younger women namely Kyoko, Chrome and Haru. The three women treated him like a kid, although he knew he was kind-of sort-of a kid, but he was Lambo for God's sake. He deserved at least some acknowledgement that he was attractive.

As he lied down in the middle of the outdoor training courtyard, worn out and all sweaty from his spar with Gokudera, he lamented the fact that he wanted to at least be treated as an adult. Chrome had something going on with Mukuro, and as much as he loved women and flirting, he would never really try anything with her. He could understand why Kyoko remain unfazed by his advances, she had Tsuna to shower her with all the attention she needed. Well, there had been times when they would coo at his innocent flirting, Haru even gave him extra dinner that one time when he gave her a rose and a kiss on the back her hand when he was seven, but all of that were no more.

What he did not like was the fact that Haru wouldn't even react when he would swoop in from god-knows-where and whisper sweet nothings in her ear (he was thirteen, but he _was_ Lambo). At one time, she _did_ flinch, the first time he did it just to tease her, and he ended up getting a black eye from when she reflexively punched him out of shock. Gokudera, Ipin and Yamamoto had burst out laughing at him then, and Ryouhei had shouted out something about puberty and control. Well, he _did_ kind-of sort-of had a crush on her. So he was expecting her to blush, not make him into a punching bag. She apologized profusely after that, but he couldn't be mad at her. Reacting the way she had with him was something ingrained to her when she started training under Reborn, then later under Hibari's Spartan close-combat training. He saw Hibird flying over his head, and idly wondered which generation was it again. The third or fourth Hibird, he couldn't really bring himself to care.

"Lambo-kun."

Ah, speaking of the devil. He sat up and stretched an arm over his shaggy head. "Yo, Haru."

Haru nodded and helped him stand up. Her grip was strong and firm even though she was petite. That was a fact that a lot seem to overlook, until they get stabbed in the solar plexus by her elbow or until they get lifted over her head and slammed down in one of her German Suplex – he wondered where she learned that from. A pair of gloves stuck out from the left pocket of her long slacks, and a gun was securely strapped onto the holster on her waist.

"What were you doing here, Lambo-kun? I was looking everywhere for you. Your dad called just now."

Lambo grinned and pointed to himself proudly. "I was just training with Gokudera. Hey, get this. I'm getting better at using the horns now. I'm thinking of doing a double helix thing with the lightning, just so I can show off to Gokudera."

She had a look of surprise, which was later replaced with a small smile.

"That's great. You've improved a lot more now."

The lightning guardian watched her as she shrugged off her black suit, and told him something about training with Reborn one last time before her transfer to Italy. Haru turned around to reach for something where she could place her uniform, and that was when he thought of that little smile she gave him. His held his tongue from clicking irritably at her response. She could have shown a little bit more enthusiasm at his progress. He sighed, and Haru turned around.

"What is it, Lambo-kun?"

"Nope, nothing."

She turned back around and proceeded to hang her suit over a bench that Reborn had used extensively to oversee all of their training, Tsuna's especially. Lambo's was haphazardly tossed over the bench, and out of habit, she tried to work out the wrinkles on the garment.

He lied. Lambo wanted to tell her to say something more, praise him more, exaggerate about how she was proud of little Lambo. He scratched the back of his neck, and reached around her to take his suit from her hands. Standing behind her, he noted yet again that ever since his growth spurt, he always seemed to forget that they were almost the same height, him being a few centimeters taller. He caught a whiff of the mild perfume she wore and was reminded of those days when she used to hold him close to her when he was but a snotty brat. Of those days when she would hold his face in her hands and reward him with praise and a big smile whenever he did something good or helped out with chores.

That irritation just a few minutes ago wasn't because of her lack of enthusiasm, but rather it was the small lifts in the corner of her lips. He missed the old Haru, the one who never failed to smile whatever the circumstances. The Haru who laughed freely at anything and everything. It had been a while since he last saw her smile earnestly. He knew that she had still been the same cheerful Haru when she started training under reborn after she entered high school, but sometime along the way, her smiles were not as bright as they used to be. She started to use more of her exaggerated smiles, and he saw how forced some of them were.

Contrary to popular belief among the Vongola Family, Lambo was actually a good observer. He wouldn't have been good with the ladies if he wasn't. Besides, since most of the time he was with her, it became second in nature to him to notice how she felt about their current boss. The brief glances, the adoration in her eyes and the hurt occupying them not long after she turned 17. Before he even knew it, her smiles were not hers anymore. They were someone else's.

"So? What did my old man want to say to me?"

Haru stuffed her necktie into the pocket over her left breast, and rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt.

"He wanted you to come visit sometimes."

Lambo made a face. "Geez, I just came back last month."

"Call him, Lambo-kun. He could use a hi from you. I mean, he's your dad after all."

He wanted to reply with something bratty when he heard her.

 _He's your dad after all._

She was in the middle of stretching an arm over her head when she stopped, and then turned to him. "Alright?"

Lambo sighed. "Okay, fine, I got it. I'm gonna call him now, so good luck kicking Reborn's ass, alright?"

He watched her nod, and as she bent down to touch her toes, he cocked his head when he checked out her butt. A thought struck him and he grinned as he quickly jogged to her.

Haru blinked when she felt an all-too-familiar hand pat her backside. She quickly turned around and watched as the perpetrator cheekily grinned at her and skipped away. Just as he expected, the older woman wasn't even flustered, and instead she warned him not to do that again if he didn't want another black eye. The young Guardian pretended he didn't hear her, and instead blew her a raspberry before walking away. He expected a laugh out of her, but she gave that small smile again. As he walked from the courtyard to the other wing of the building, he remembered the glimpse of the scar on Haru's left wrist. Immediately his smile dropped, and he let his legs stop walking in the middle of a hallway.

Clenching his teeth, he punched a wall as he was reminded of that horrible day. Seeing the scar reminded him of the very reason that took away her smile.

* * *

"You're going to be in good hands, Haru."

She nodded, not that he could see her anyway, but she did all the same out of respect. A newbie member of the family greeted them as they walked through the halls, towards the Vongola Decimo's office. Haru watched silently as she walked behind Reborn, wondering how he felt to be in a four-year old body. Ever since the Arcobaleno's curse was lifted, Reborn had been eating a lot more, and he had been growing although very slowly. At that moment he was still a long ways to be half her size, but he was still the same ruthless tutor. Colonello had told Haru that the hitman had a soft spot for her, since she became one of Vongola's best despite not having her own ring.

"C'mon, Haru. Speed up a bit."

She really wondered about that supposedly soft spot, which seemed pretty much non-existent to her. Reborn was Reborn. All the harsh training and knowledge he had drilled into her were what made who she was then, someone capable of protecting the family. It took a lot of broken bones and tears, but there she was. If it hadn't been for the Arcobaleno, she could have died that time when she was taken hostage on her twentieth birthday.

Haru brought up her left hand, and pulled at the edge of the glove she was wearing to reveal a scar on her wrist. Her fingers gently traced the distinct line, and recalled how that one time Lambo and I-Pin had rushed to her side the moment she regained consciousness. They were mere children then, and she could remember their faces as they tried to hold back tears. I-pin as usual, had told Lambo to not be such a crybaby. And the child Lambo then had pointed out that the Chinese girl was also about to cry. She remembered holding both of them in her arms, and they wailed in her embrace. It had been more than a year since then, and she wondered the last time she had cried like they had.

She couldn't remember, and she didn't want to. All that she knew was that she had shed enough tears in her lifetime, and crying just made her pity herself.

She stopped behind Reborn as soon as they reached Tsuna's Office. The Arcobaleno knocked a few times, and they were greeted by Gokudera. The Storm Guardian nodded to both of them, and unlike how they had been going at each other's throat since they were young, she thanked him as he led them inside. Tsuna was behind the desk, his once boyish smile was now replaced with a smile she could never get used to but would never admit. His shock of brown hair was some shorter and his eyes were the same kind eyes. He had grown so much, he was like a different person and yet he was still the same Tsuna-san she knew and used to love.

Used to love. That was all in the past. He was now Kyoko's.

There had been a time when she would cry when that reality would hit her, but not then. Tears were not her thing anymore. Not after all she had gone through.

To her, tears were for the ignorant. Tears were for people who were blinded by weaknesses and ignorant of their own self-worth.

Haru knew firsthand how it felt like to cry and have nothing come out of it.

"Have you prepared your things?"

Tsuna smiled as she nodded, and handed a dossier to her.

"This is the outline of your job when you get there, make sure not to lose this okay. Not that you would, anyway."

She nodded again and took the file from him, tucking it under her arm.

"Thank you for letting me go there, Tsuna-san. I appreciate it."

Tsuna glanced at Reborn, who was now sitting comfortably in a chair by the window. "Well, Reborn _did_ vouch for you. He insisted that this would be the best for you, with someone in your position."

Haru opened her mouth to say something when Gokudera cut in, arms crossed across his chest as he huffed out.

"If it wasn't because of Reborn-san, I wouldn't have let you go there."

It was silent for a moment, and Reborn pulled down the rim of his fedora. _'Here it goes again.'_

The Vongola Decimo sighed as he touched Gokudera's elbow. "Gokudera-"

"And why is that so?"

"You were trained to protect Juudaime and the family. Jumping at the opportunity to work somewhere else seems to me as if you're running away from our boss and shirking your duties."

Gokudera glared at her as she turned to him, her fingers clenching at the dossier despite the calm exterior she displayed. Haru didn't miss the implications of what Gokudera said. He was simply voicing out that she was running away from everything, and not move on from what happened to her that caused the scar on her wrist. He was right, she admitted that. So what of it?

Tsuna was massaging his temples, bracing for the impending headache. "Haru, sorry about that. Gokudera-kun didn't-"

"So what _if_ I'm running away? It's not harming you anyway."

Haru swallowed, calming herself. She didn't want this. At the very least she didn't want to leave Japan having Gokudera hate her even more than he usually did.

Turning to Tsuna, she tried her best to smile at her boss. For a while, he was left speechless as he faced that empty smile. There was something in her eyes that looked forlorn. They had been that way ever since she came back from the Adriano's. Empty, sometimes a ghost of sadness in them when she thought no one noticed, and sometimes an underlying anger simmering in them when Reborn's off-handed comments struck a chord within her.

"If I'm gone, won't everything turn back to normal?" The unchanging tone of her voice made it sound more like a statement than a question.

Tsuna doubted she expected them to answer that. He watched silently as she turned to look at his Right hand man, her eyes unwavering, sans for the small faltering in the corners of her mouth.

"I know that I'm not the same anymore, and I know it's bothering everyone around me, especially the kids. So let me do something to make things better."

She heard Gokudera mutter under his breath, "The hell's with that? Stupid woman."

Tsuna sighed. "…Your flight's tonight, right? Aren't you gonna wait until Chrome and Yamamoto come back from Gion?"

He saw her tightening fist at the mention of Chrome's name. They _were_ close friends, so maybe she wanted to say goodbye to the former Guardian. "…No, I'm good."

Haru stepped back a few, and bowed. "I'll be taking my leave then, Tsuna-san."

"Okay. I'll see you off when Dad comes to get you."

"Thank you."

Reborn watched from his seat as she turned around and walked towards the door. It took a lot of patience to train her to get used to hand-to-hand combat, and if it hadn't been for her talent in gymnastics, she wouldn't have made a good fighter. Having a good brain was an added bonus on her and the family's part. She had gone a long way to being who she was then, and he had to admit that he was a little bit proud of her. Though it did feel kind of sad that she wasn't the same person anymore. The ponytail she wore reminded him of the day when he found her standing outside Namimori Highschool under her umbrella on a rainy Sunday. She had just turned fifteen and was on her way back from cram school. He had been out for a walk in the rain, something he sometimes did since he found it to be therapeutic to feel the raindrops on his skin.

" _What 'cha doing there, Haru?"_

She didn't seem surprised to see him walking in the rain, and calmly nodded at the Arcobaleno.

" _Tsuna-san and the others are going to meet up with Timoteo-san, huh?"_

" _Yeah, next week actually."_

Haru had bitten her lip, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't seem to have the courage to. It had been weird seeing her like that, because he knew the bubbly girl had never seemed to ever think before saying or asking anything. But he knew better than to think that the Haru standing in front of him then was not the same girl from when she had been fourteen. Having to go to the future and come back a couple of times changed her. She had been the same perky Haru, but she was much more perceptive to those around her.

" _What is it?"_

She had cleared her throat, and finally managed to blurt out.

" _Please train me to become stronger!"_

"… _took you forever to ask that from me."_

" _Eh?"_

He knew it had been a matter of time when she would want to become stronger. It was Haru he was talking about. She had a lot of potential, and he had itched to hone her skills. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he didn't know how Tsuna would take the news. Not that he cared anyway. One way or another, he was going to persuade Haru to become stronger. It was just that her willingness was something he needed to be able to bring out the best of her.

" _I won't be coming with Tsuna, so let's meet up at Namimori Island."_

" _O-Okay! Thank you!"_

He wondered if she would have thanked him had she known what would happen later in the future.

She was reaching for the doorknob when Tsuna called out to her.

"I'm sorry Haru."

She paused for a few seconds before she twisted the knob. "…For what, Tsuna-san?"

"For transferring you. This doesn't mean that we're pushing you away… you know that, right?"

He didn't see her nod, and added again. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be."

Pushing open the door, she turned around to look at the Vongola Decimo.

"I chose this."

* * *

Haru sighed as she dropped herself onto her bed, and closed her eyes as she imagined how it would feel like having her own room in a mansion of the Cavallone. There would be no one to knock on her door to ask for late-night box weapon repairs, no more children laughter and no more close friends walking on eggshells around her.

She heard somebody knock on her door, and instantly she knew who the person was. "Come in."

Kyoko's head peeked out from behind the door, and just for a while Haru let herself be healed by the gentle smile the woman had. It was no feat trying to know why Tsuna loved the woman at all, and accepting it had been much more painful than it was then. All that remained was nothing more than a dull ache in her chest. A little squeeze in her chest which she left ignored, and will continue doing so.

"Iemitsu-sama's already here."

Haru nodded in acknowledgement and pulled on her black suit. Kyoko watched on silently as her friend placed a gun into the holster under the left side of her suit, and tugged another onto the holster on her waist. She knew the brown-haired woman was hiding a few throw knives under her sleeves, like she always had. Even the hairpin she used to twist her brown hair into that bun on her head was in fact a sharp weapon. The guns were nicely covered by the specially tailored suit Reborn had gifted her with, and Kyoko couldn't help the smile on her face as Haru gingerly buttoned up the suit. In more ways than one, Reborn truly was like a father to Haru. Neither of them would admit it though, which made it so much more endearing.

"Wait, Haru-chan."

Said name blinked, and watched silently as the boss's wife adjusted her tie. "There you go, all ready now."

She nodded, and thanked her best friend, now a little over eight months pregnant with Vongola twins. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan."

She let the Lady of the family escort her to the front gates, Tsuna was waiting there with his hands in his pockets, Iemitsu waiting by the opened trunk.

Just as Haru opened the passenger door, Kyoko called out to her. Turning around, she was nearly knocked off-balance when the bustier woman hugged her. Swallowing, not letting herself cry again, Haru hugged her back.

"Thank you... Tsuna-san. Kyoko-chan too."

It took a lot of effort on her part as she pried Kyoko's arms from around her torso and step back from her to make some distance. Hands clenched tightly by side, she made a perfect bow and disappeared into the black car with tinted windows.

Iemitsu glanced at her from the driver's seat, and cleared his throat.

"You sure about this? You don't know when you'll get to see them again."

She nodded, and closed her eyes as she relaxed into the leather chair. "Rather for me, it's better for them. At least they won't be tormented by the fact that I'm not the old me anymore."

He kept silent by her side, and she too. Had it been another world, another parallel universe, she would have enjoyed fishing with him on a private yacht. He would have relished in the feeling of having a daughter to share his adventures with.

But not then. Not in that world.

* * *

It was known to all, that the Cavallones was a men's cave. The only women in their testosterone-filled environment were the old maids who were mothers of at least five children of their own. It was not that the Cavallones didn't get married, some of them even had families, but those were the ones who lived outside of the mansion. The men lurking in every corner of the manor were those who were single guys of varying age. And being all guys, they were bound to walk around the grounds half-naked with small towels covering whatever extra things they have between their legs. They were also bound to be found lounging around the training grounds, sweating and panting heavily after grueling training, in only their boxers and nothing else.

They were relaxed _because_ everyone was a guy.

Which was why it was a surprise for them to suddenly catch a glimpse of a familiar body figure walking nonchalantly through the hallways and corridors confidently. She only stopped to glance at the group of half-naked men lying around the third training ground for a heartbeat, raise a brown elegant brow, and continue towards the general direction of the Decimo's office. As if she hadn't just witnessed the sight of sweaty, half naked men in their boxers lounging around.

"Ah… Damn. Isn't that the Japanse girl? Haven't seen her in quite a while."

The newbie teenager, newly named Marco by Dino, blinked repeatedly. "Wh-What… who was that woman? I-I mean…"

He chanced a glance at the new guest, and watched as she stopped halfway to speak with Romario who had just come into view. A stray bang fell over her eyes, and she used a small hand to tuck it behind her ear. In doing that, her eyes briefly landed on the newbie and she nodded at him when she noticed he was staring at her.

Marco swallowed as she turned her attention to something Romario was saying. He could feel his face heating up at the brief exchange.

"I-I mean… That… She's a woman… What's she um… doing here?"

An older guy pat his shoulder. "What's wrong with you, Marco boy? Never seen a chick before?"

The others laughed as the newbie bristled at that question. "H-Hey!"

The guy used his pinky finger to scratch an itchy spot in his ear. "Yeah, well… I think Romario wasn't just kidding when he said we'd have a new addition for the meantime. That's Haru, from Vongola. You weren't here yet when she first came here."

The younger boy nodded, and suddenly felt a chill as a wind blew. That was when Haru bent down to pick up something a passing maid dropped and the edges of her skirt fluttered in the wind to reveal the back of her thighs. They guys cleared their throat, embarrassed at seeing something they shouldn't have. The one who had his hand on Marco's shoulder – Carlo, if he wasn't mistaken - whistled and grinned.

"Well damn, would ya look at that. Didn't expect her to be that pretty."

Marco chanced another look at her direction just in time to see her smooth out her skirt, who seemed unperturbed of the incident that happened. She nodded as Romario showed her something, and they continued towards Dino's office.

Another wind blew, and that was when he noticed that she had a hand over the back of her skirt to prevent the same thing happening. He looked up in time to see her frowning at him, and his face ended up red as a tomato at being found out secretly checking her out.

"Dear lord, forgive me."

* * *

She tugged at the hems of the skirt she was wearing, and nervously – but politely - nodded at a middle-aged woman who was blatantly staring at the Japanese newcomer. She nodded back and smiled at Haru apologetically, conscious that she was caught staring. She figured the maid might have been a new worker, and looked up just in time to see Romario glancing at her from over his shoulder.

"You're attracting quite the attention, Miss Haru."

She nodded, and frowned as she tried to keep her hands from trying to pull the skirt lower down her thighs. It was such bad luck to have lost her luggage on the day of arrival. Her first thought when she had landed at the airport the night before and realized moments later that her luggage was missing from the conveyor belt, was that she was lucky nothing of importance was in the black and white luggage bag. On the other hand, she had nothing to change into for the next day, and had to do some shopping from the shops nearby the transit hotel she was staying at before coming to the Cavallone's mansion. And let it be said that the women's clothing section held a lot of fashionable wear but zero practicality. She had tried the men's wear but came out with nothing of her size. Well, she _was_ small. She had managed to pick out decent formal suits, which came with pretty, but in Haru's case, impractical, black skirts. It had been two years since she had last worn a skirt. The very reason she wore long pants was mainly because she would feel too exposed when her job entails her to do a lot of sneaking around walls and jumping over the enemies' heads. Granted, most of her success stories back then were mostly because of how the enemies would be too preoccupied with her slim legs and the black panties to even move, making it easier to knock them out.

She sighed, and noted that the black socks she was wearing provided _some_ sort of warmth, if not much. The dull thud of her Doc Martens accompanied the short silence between them before she spoke up.

"I just wish that they find my bag already."

The sound Romario made as he chuckled made her crack a small smile. It was good to be there again. For all those times when she was stationed in Italy to work under Timoteo and at the same time hone her skills under Lal's tutelage, Romario had been her father figure. The graying hair by the sides of his head reminded her of her own father. She pulled up a hand to clench at her chest as she was reminded of that wheelchair he was sitting on, surrounded by the smell of old paper and ink coming from the books her father kept in his library, where he would spend most of his time.

Clearing her throat slightly, she faced forward and fastened her pace so she could walk alongside Romario.

"It's been a while."

The older man nodded, and they rounded a corner that led to a door she knew by heart.

"It's been eighteen months actually. Alright, if you could just wait for boss in here. He's on his way from a meeting with the Simons. Do you mind if I leave the door open?"

Haru nodded, and entered the office after saying her thanks to the retainer. She stood by the opened door, her brown eyes scanning the office. A large hardwood desk sat in the further part of the office, flanked by a tall lamp on the right and a tall glass cabinet on the left. There was a door behind the desk, which she knew led to a room. She spotted a lazy chair in one corner, and a bookshelf next to it. There was a small round table by the window, and a pair of matching chairs, where she had once sat there with the Cavallone Decimo and talked over a plate of cake and tea. She closed her eyes, willing the memories away. Sweet memories made her remember of the times when she used to be naive, and being naive was one thing she loathed. Knowing the kind-hearted man, he would be surprised to see herself as she was now. The last time she came by, she knew that he out of all people saw how she had changed after the kidnap.

Tugging onto the gloves she wore, she walked towards the glass cabinet and watched the items displayed in it. She brought up a hand to touch the glass as she saw a picture of Dino and a pair of newlyweds she knew better than anyone else. Haru saw herself in the picture, the light blue dress she wore and the light make up did an excellent job in hiding the tumultuous feelings welling inside her. She almost laughed at herself when she saw the smile on her face.

She felt like a conman. Tricking everyone else and lying to herself.

Another item caught her eye, and she turned her gaze onto it. Through the glass, she saw an old bullwhip. The wear and tear showed that it had been used well, and how it was kept in the cabinet showed how much of a prized possession it was to the user, and she could understand why. It had been his first weapon since being the Cavallone Family's boss, and a present Reborn had given. The whip was something he had given to Tsuna, but later the Vongola Decimo gave it back to the older man the day he was named the Tenth Boss. A few other pictures of him and his subordinates and another of him standing proudly next to his box weapon were displayed next to the whip, and she could feel herself smile, even a little bit.

"Dino… san."

She liked how easy his name rolled off her tongue. She never even thought that one day he would be an important existence in her life. Not a single day passed by that she had not thought of him. Even when she had been but a young adult back then when she first came to deliver a package to him, the brown-eyed man had been her friend, her ally. He knew things she couldn't tell to the Vongolas, and he had been there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Haru was reminded of the last time she saw him, and she realized how much she had changed ever since she came back from being a hostage at the Adriano's. She didn't ask for herself to change so drastically. Having her heart broken was not what made her change, rather it was because of a number of events that took place, and what happened to her when she was in custody was the last straw.

The scar on her left wrist stung a little and she lamented the fact that things were not how they used to be. She could not force herself to be the happy, oblivious and cheerful Haru anymore.

People change. Haru knew she was no exception to that.

* * *

Dino could see the reflection of his eyes on the car window. He spotted a young mother walking on the pedestrian walk, a small child in her arms. At a glance, the woman seemed to look to have had brown hair. A sigh escaped his lips as he tore his eyes away from the window and settled into the leather seat. He closed his eyes and the image of a smiling Haru greeted him.

Romario had called him half an hour ago, telling him that she had arrived. Dino was speechless for a second, before he had cleared his throat and told the guy to ask Haru to wait for him in his office. It took him a few moments to start thinking of a way to greet her, and he came up with a few casual greetings. But as he stepped foot in the car, he knew that things would not be as casual as he wanted it to be.

Who was he kidding.

After all those long months of not seeing her after that last delivery, his feelings for her had not changed. If it was even possible, the day he heard she was in a hospital in America a few months after the last time he had seen of her, he had seriously thought of flying over there himself.

" _Idiot. She was just grazed by a bullet. Haru's not dying, Dino. She's better than that."_

If Reborn hadn't stopped by his place that day, he would have really gone to see Haru. When the Arcobaleno said something about the Japanese woman being discharged and on her way to Japan, he felt a huge sense of relief wash over him. His interest towards Haru did not go unnoticed by Reborn, who eyed him suspiciously.

" _What's wrong with you? Being all interested about Haru out of all people."_

" _Because I haven't seen her in a while. You know how she is to me, right."_

" _Like your own daughter?"_

"… _I'm not that old, Reborn. Sister is more like it."_

" _It looks to me like it's more than that."_

He didn't answer, and even if he did, Reborn knew already.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of the gates of the Cavallone mansion. The henchmen nodded at him in greeting, not even minding that they could only see dark windows, since they knew who was riding in the car. The driver spoke up as he rounded up the stretch of road that led to the main entrance.

"Boss, I heard that Miss Haru's come to join us starting from today."

"Yeah. Romario told you guys huh."

"Yep. But really, I think she should join us already. I mean, there are only guys here, it's so boring."

Dino chuckled and stretched as the car stopped in front of the entrance. "She's one of the Vongolas, you know."

The driver grinned as he turned to look back at his boss. "She can still be one of us, right?"

' _Well, only if she marries into the family.'_

That thought made Dino clear his throat. _'Geez, seriously. As if she would easily agree to that.'_

His subordinates welcomed him as he entered his mansion, nodding at the ones who greeted him on his way to the office. Passing the courtyard, he spotted Marco and the other guys cooling off after a bout of training. They waved at him and greeted him cheerily, and he waved back. Romario appeared next to him, and he handed his suit to the older man. A sigh left his lips as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, stopping outside his office. He could see Haru's back from the opened door, her body facing the display cabinet next to his desk. Romario raised a brow as he watched his boss pacing back and forth in front of the opened door.

"If you want, I can bring her to her room first, Boss."

Dino shook his head and stopped pacing. He turned to Romario, and smiled nervously.

"No, it's okay. I'll… go in. Um, can you…"

The older man smiled encouragingly, and left his Boss to his self.

Taking a breath, the Cavallone Decimo finally made up his mind and entered the office, closing the door on his way inside. The figure studying the picture frames in the glass cabinet didn't notice the door closing, and so he silently made his way towards her. He was about to call out to Haru when he noticed her properly for the first time.

Dino had seen many beautiful women in his lifetime, and even dated some of them. But when he realized how hard he fell for Haru, none of the women he had met held a candle to her. To his eyes, she was the prettiest. And after not seeing her for 18 long months, seeing her again in his office wearing a skirt made him swallow hard.

Brown eyes slowly dragged over her figure, starting from her black Doc Martens, to the black thigh-high socks covering her slender legs. The hems of her skirt brushed her thighs as she shifted her weight from her left leg to her right leg, and the cloth moved a little bit more as she clasped her hands behind her. He loosened his tie as he saw the sliver of skin left exposed between the edges of her long socks and the hem of her black skirt, and he quickly moved his eyes up. He could feel the tightening of his chest as he saw her lips mouthing the words in some of the picture frames, and the stray strands of hair brushing the back of her exposed neck. The small bun at the back of her head was secured with an all-too-familiar hairpin, and he had seen her use that razor-sharp weapon on someone some few years ago.

He finally decided to call out to her.

"Hey there, Haru."

She blinked, and he felt himself smile as she turned to him. A small smile graced her lips as she greeted him.

"Hello, Dino-san."

* * *

She sighed as the door behind her closed with a soft 'click'. Dropping the small luggage bag she had bought before coming to the Cavallone's next to the door, she slowly made her way to the large Queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. She looked around the moderately sized room, and found out that Romario must have done some research about room décor for a woman her age. Dark-red drapes accompanied with gold-tinted sheer drapes covered the large glass sliding doors that also led to the balcony. A mahogany bedside table flanked the large bed, and a quaint table lamp sat on it. The bronze-colored bed sheets and copper hued comforter complemented the rest of the mahogany bedroom furniture. Carefully, she sat on the bed, testing the mattress under her. After a few moments of admiring the simple but well thought-out arrangements, she flopped onto the soft bed, a relieved sigh escaping her lips as she felt her back muscles relax upon touching the soft mattress and slowly brought up her knees. The black skirt she wore slid up her thighs and revealed her gun strapped on her right.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the fact that she was finally away from all the stifling stares back at the Namimori Vongola base. Everyone wanted to know what happened to her when she was kidnapped, what made her father paralyzed from the waist down, and what she did to escape from that place.

The Guardians knew, Tsuna knew. That was enough for her. If only the others knew, then they surely will be surprised. If Dino knew… she didn't know if she could live with the embarrassment.

She sat up and pulled off her gloves, and unbuckled the strap on her thigh. Kicking off her shoes, she peeled off the socks and padded towards the dresser. Watching the reflection of herself on the mirror, she placed her gun and her gloves onto the dresser and undid her bun, placing the hairpin next to her gloves. After a few minutes of stripping herself down to her lingerie, Haru noted that the knives and the extra magazine she hid on her left thigh were all splayed out on the dresser. She ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair, and reminded herself that she needed a bath before joining the Cavallones for dinner. As Haru stepped under the shower, she thought back to her meeting with Dino a few hours ago.

Apparently the Cavallones were planning on a strategic attack plan to disable an up-and-coming human-trafficking syndicate that had rendered the police force dumbfounded. There were no traces, and their current witnesses who were victims rescued during a smuggling bust either disappeared or died. Since more teenage and children were disappearing by the day, and investigations have gone nowhere, the police were in a tight spot and the residents were not cooperating. In a place where mafia ruled the district, the police have turned to the Cavallones since they were one of the founding Families in the areas affected, as well as being the most resourceful Family.

So Dino had started on the plans, and recently came up with some troublesome information about their base. Finding out where the group was hiding out was the easy part. Finding suitable persons to infiltrate the base was another thing. They were short on tech-savvy guys, and to make matters worse, the Cavallones did not have someone who could sneak in the premises and hack into the system without triggering the alarms. They lost quite a few men the last time they tried, and Dino could not risk to lose more.

They also haven't had a box weapon technician to update their gear and run maintenance on most of their rings since last summer, since the only ones they had were Giannini and Spanner who were also working for the Vongolas. The Cavallones might be one of the powerful mafia apart from the Vongolas, but they were very much short on technology despite their excellence in work force. In another sense, they were like a bigger version of the Varias, just that they were not as ruthless as the Vongola elite branch.

Rinsing off the last of soap from her body, Haru stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her petite figure. Immediately she rummaged through her luggage bag and pulled out an old notebook. Sitting on the floor, she pulled up her knees and used them to place the book onto as she read up on box weapon maintenance.


	3. Chapter 2: Flower

**Pegasus In A Field of Spring**

 **A/N:** Hi guys. I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. Thanks a bunch for reading this fic, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys dropped some constructive reviews. It would really help me in the direction of this fic ^^. Alas, I just wanna say that most of this chapter is a flashback up until the last part. I hope you guys won't be too confused reading it. Oh, I put in an OC here, Carlo. Because not much have been said about the Cavallones other than Romario.

Enjoy reading :)

 _Flashback_

" _Flashback"_

' _Inner thoughts'_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Flower in the Midst of Men**

Romario had been Dino's retainer for as long as he could remember. The dark-haired man, now known as the Bucking Bronco's right hand man, could vividly remember holding the then squirming brown-eyed infant with the shock of blond hair, who was just barely a month old, in his awkward arms. He had been but a young adult then, just recruited by the Cavallone Nono himself when he was only sixteen. Since then, he had been tasked with taking care of the clumsy child, later entrusted by the Cavallone Patriarch to be the young Dino's right hand man at his deathbed.

"Damn, I messed up again. Romario, remind me to stock up on ink."

"Yes, I will."

His perpetual smile widened just a fraction as he sat by the window in the spacious office, watching the now adult Dino fussing over paperwork. Now, Romario was not known to be emotional, but seeing the Decimo working hard was something that he thought he would never see, and he admitted that it brought tears to his eyes whenever an ally Famiglia would praise the Decimo's efforts. He knew firsthand it hadn't been easy for Dino to round up every existing loopholes in the financing systems and the organization, and do whatever it took to bring the Cavallones back into glory. Those were the days he witnessed the boy –now adult- breakdown repeatedly from frustration, and he had been with Dino every step of the way.

He had been there when Dino as a boy, had obediently entered the school for children of the mafia, albeit the silent rebel evidently simmering in his brown eyes. He had been there when the fragile boy cried silently in the confines of the empty bedroom where his parents had once occupied, and had come out the next morning with determination burning in his eyes. He had been there on the countless times the young man had to visit the hospital due to broken bones and every wound when he trained under Reborn.

His heart had nearly stopped that one time when Dino nearly died, having his lungs drowned in his own blood after that one intense training in the old dungeons of the Cavallone family. Had it not been because of Reborn who told him to believe in Dino –Honest to God, there was never a moment he doubted the young boss- the retainer would have already killed the Arcobaleno… not that he could anyway, but he sure as hell would have liked to try.

He had been there when Dino had his first tattoo to commemorate being named the Boss of the Cavallone Famiglia. He had been there for the young boss when he had his first crush, and later his first heartbreak when the girl he thought would be his one and only had denied him when she learned of his profession, of the life he led. And to watch the man move on, being much stronger than ever.

Romario pretty much watched Dino grow up literally and metaphorically. He could read Dino like an open book. He knew what made his boss tick and what made him happy. That was why the moment he saw how carefree Dino was when he talked with the young Japanese girl, he knew that Haru Miura was good for his boss. It was in the way he smiled and laughed as she told him jokes about the quirks of the Vongolas, alternating between Japanese and broken Italian. It was also in the way his shoulders would relax when she would breeze in the office without any inhibitions, throwing around confetti and sometimes setting off party poppers to dramatize her entrance, that he knew Haru had brought about a semblance of normalcy in the Decimo's life, as weird as she was herself. He recalled at one time how Dino had stared at the door a few minutes after Haru had walked out that same door, and absent-mindedly blurted out his inner thoughts.

" _She's like a sunflower. Weird, huh."_

Dino's face had lit up like a red Christmas light shortly after that comment.

It had been two years since Haru had just begun to come to the Cavallone Mansion for the deliveries and occasional visits, educational trips were what she liked to call them. Her total number of visits did not amount that much, since she only came over to deliver sealed parcels and documents with the Sky Flame seal, which coincided with her school holidays. She would stay in Italy during summer and winter breaks when she was sixteen and seventeen, training under Reborn and occasionally Colonello using the latest facilities at the Vongola's branch in Venice, while working under Timoteo at the same time. Whenever a different messenger would show up, the subtle disappointment beneath the friendly smile Dino would give was as clear as day to his right hand man.

Being Romario, he saw how Dino's demeanor around Haru would change. There was nothing really drastic during the first few visits aside from a few friendly pleasantries, but after some time, he noticed how Dino's face would significantly light up at the sound of the peculiar whistle Haru made –not unlike a bird - when she arrived at the balcony. Once during her second winter break, when she breezed into the office wearing a Santa Claus outfit –red hat, red skirt, green thigh high socks- , with a dossier in her hands, Romario watched in amusement as Dino choked on his coffee. The girl had not realized it, but the telltale reddening of his ears was a dead give-away to Romario.

It took some more visits from her whenever she got a day off from Reborn, and a few more talks over cake and tea, but finally everything fit into place, and Romario realized that his boss might have fallen for the Japanese girl without he himself knowing it. The lingering glances and sweet smiles he sported whenever Dino thought nobody would notice confirmed the man's suspicion. Well, it would really be great if she reciprocated Dino's feelings. Romario and the guys approved of her, and most of them could more or less tell that their dear Decimo kind-of sort-of liked Haru Miura. An eight-year difference was nothing big, Romario thought. His boss had just turned 26. Dino wasn't getting any younger, and it was time for mini-Dinos to run around the Cavallone mansion. They could wait until Haru reach twenty and maybe start by approaching Vongola Decimo and her father first…

His brows shot up in realization.

An eight-year difference really was nothing big.

He watched as Dino stretched his arms after a bout of particularly troublesome paperwork, and rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Hm… this could actually work."

Dino raised a brow at Romario's sudden statement. "What would work?"

Romario blinked, and then he smiled. "Nothing. Just talking to myself."

His boss narrowed his eyes, suspicious of whatever plans Romario had. The man in question continued smiling, as per usual, and finally Dino shrugged.

"Hey, let's go for dinner."

"Alright. Let's."

"I want sushi."

* * *

Carlo wasn't as old as Romario, but he was also one of the few people who grew up watching the pipsqueak Dino grow up into the famous Bucking Bronco Dino. The young boss was one of the few young mafia bosses apart from the yet-to-be promoted Vongola Decimo who had made a name for himself in both the mafia world and the high society in Italy. The Cavallones had already been in the wine and dine as well as the tourism business for a total of 7 years now. The amount of elders who laughed at him when he started out as the Cavallone Decimo when he was but a nineteen year-old 'brat' were countless. But he had the support of people like Carlo and Romario and the prestige of being an ally of the Vongolas helped him a lot. Reborn had not let him rest until he reached the 57% break in sales profit when he had just turned 21.

Even as they were at this lavish party at the Bovino Castle, a new headquarters base was being built in Sicily. At the end of the year the Cavallones would move there, and Carlo was eager to see how they would fare there. It took more than eight years for Dino and his subordinates to establish a foothold over at Sicily, and since the Cavallones stepped in to take over after the demise of the Regios' old and last boss, things were going quite well for all of them.

Discarding the burned out cigarette into an ashtray, Carlo lit up another one as he leaned against the wall, watching as his boss made idle chat with a buxom beauty. His could feel the corner of his lips kick up in appreciation as she flipped over her strawberry blonde hair, the mole under the left corner of her lips moving ever slightly as she smiled at something Dino said. He let out some smoke from his nostrils and watched in amusement as Dino tried to relieve himself from the woman, who was then trying display her breasts in an effort to catch the Cavallone Decimo's eyes, and failed as she all but manacled the mafia boss to the balcony.

He scratched his head as he contemplated if he should follow his boss, because if he didn't, the woman would probably end up molesting the poor man.

A few hours later, they were on their way back to the Cavallone mansion. Carlo watched as Dino continued to stare out of the car window, ignoring him from the party back at the Bovino's all the way to Venice.

"It couldn't be _that_ bad, right? I mean, she was a beauty wasn't she?"

Dino let out an exasperated groan as he finally turned to Carlo.

"Being beautiful doesn't mean being tolerable. She was too… _eager_. And you were there the whole time laughing at me weren't you?"

At this, the older man burst out laughing.

"Sorry about that. If it's not Miss Haru then anyone else won't do, huh?"

At that, Dino sighed and leaned tiredly into the comforts of the leather seats. "What does this have to do with Haru? She's not here, she's gone back to Japan months ago."

"Well for one, you have a crush on her. So any other girl won't do."

He was replied with a grunt. Carlo wanted to say more, when Dino brought up a hand to massage his temples, willing the impending headache to go away.

"Will you _please_ stop saying that. I don't have a crush, or anything on her. She's a good friend I tell you. Good friend."

Carlo raised an eyebrow at that. If only Dino knew how he looked like when the Japanese woman came into his office that one time wearing a Santa Claus outfit. The Decimo was all red ears and starry brown eyes. _'Try saying that when she's in front of you, Boss.'_

Dino frowned as the headache didn't go away and gave up trying. He closed his eyes and only opened them when they arrived at the mansion. Nodding to the men who waited for his arrival, he made a beeline to his office, where he still had a few contracts to read through and sign. Not that he couldn't do them the next day, but he just felt like busying himself since he had not been himself lately. It was already in the middle of May, which made the last time he saw the girl had been more than five months. Thinking of how she would come breezing through the door no more made him restless for some reason. It hadn't been like this a year ago, and try as he might, he could never figure out why he felt a little bit more stressed out in the few months she wasn't there.

Just as he twisted the door knob to his office, he froze in his tracks when he felt something being thrown over his head and everything turned dark. A familiar voice told him to stay still and his arms were immediately bound by his sides as the perpetrator tied a rope around his body and all but thrown his body over a broad shoulder to be carried like a sack of potatoes to god-knows-where.

"Romario? Hey, what's all this?!"

Dino knew Romario was not the one carrying him, since the older man didn't have such a broad shoulder. So he guessed that it must be another family member. But that was the least of his worries when Romario didn't reply. He continued to struggle when the person who carried him finally placed him down on his own two feet. The thing over his head –he figured it must be someone's pillowcase- was pulled off and the rope binding him was cut off, and he was momentarily blinded with balloons before a very, _very_ familiar voice sung out "Happy Birthday Dino-saaaaan!"

Party poppers and confetti were all but thrown in his face by his men, and they all sung out rather loudly. "Happy Birthday, Boss!"

He stared at the scene before him, mouth agape as Haru popped out of a big box that was made out to resemble a box weapon. She was wearing a birthday cap, and with one more in her hand, she approached him. A big smile was plastered on her face and her brown eyes shone brightly as she wished him again.

"Happy birthday Dino-san! Well, belated actually. Romario-san said you forgot to celebrate your own birthday, so here I am! Here, let Haru put this hat on you."

He rubbed his eyes, unsure to believe what he saw was true. Romario patted his back, and Dino couldn't help but let out a surprised chuckle at the small green birthday cap the older man wore.

"What is this? I thought you went back to Japan?"

Haru grinned as Dino bent down to accommodate her when she tiptoed to put the cap onto him. Cheekily, she winked and placed a finger over her lips.

"Well, that's a se~cret."

Romario nodded as he passed a plastic knife to his boss. "Yep, a secret. Here, your weapon."

Dino held the knife, decorated with blue and green ribbons that were clumsily tied together, probably by the stubby hands of his men, and couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face when Haru and Carlo brought out a big cake with lots of candles on it. They placed it onto a coffee table, and that was when Dino recognized that they were in the common room of the mansion. He took off his suit, and rolling up his sleeves, he counted the numbers of candles haphazardly stuck into the cake. He chuckled as he watched the cake standing lopsided. It had probably seen better days before the guys decided to stab 25 candles into it.

"You missed one."

Haru scratched the back of her head. "Well, yeah. We ran out of candles. We kinda thought that you wouldn't notice."

Romario watched from the sidelines as the men watched in anticipation as their boss blew out the candles. They all cheered when Dino cut into the cake, as if the Cavallones were a hockey team and Dino had just scored a hat trick at a game. He looked up into Haru's face and thanked her earnestly. She appeared to have had been caught off-guard, before she turned her eyes to the cake, her lips smiling and the apples of her cheeks blushing. Romario raised a brow at this, and amusedly watched on as Dino appeared to be oblivious as he was busy being happy to realize that. If only he noticed the dust of pink on Haru's cheeks, then he wouldn't be so pessimistic as to say that they were friends the next time Romario brought up the 'crush' subject.

* * *

His men were sprawled all over the room, drunken and fast asleep after the party. Dino himself was feeling a happy buzz in his head from the beer he drank, but not enough to knock him out. He still had to help cleaning up, or else Haru would be the only one to stay up cleaning their mess. Chuckling, he shook his head as he saw Romario passed out on the long couch, his blue tie tied around his head and glasses askew. Picking up the last of plates, he brought the trash bag into the kitchen nearby. He saw Haru doing the dishes, her hair tied up into her signature ponytail and the ends brushing the collar on the back of her neck.

Her hair was getting longer, he noticed, and placing the plates he was holding onto the counter nearest to him, Dino leaned against the doorway as he listened to her hum to a tune he didn't know. The ends of the skirt she was wearing brushed the back of her thighs as she moved a bit, and his eyes followed the length of her legs. She had crossed her right ankle over the back of her left one, and he swallowed thickly as he belatedly noticed that her legs were bare sans the pair of ankle-high socks she was wearing. For a short person, she had pretty legs. That, or he was just being biased.

' _She's eighteen. Compared to her I'm already an Ojii-san. Calm yourself, Dino.'_

Dino cleared his throat and reprimanded himself for thinking about inappropriate thoughts of Haru. He blamed it on the alcohol. That, and the fact that the last he had dated someone had been more than a year and now he had a pretty girl in front of him. The Japanese girl stopped humming and turned around to him, a questioning look on her face. Her sleeves were rolled up, and he saw the suds sliding off her slender arms as she used a hand to turn off the water tap.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Were you going to use the sink?"

He shook his head, and she smiled before continuing to wash the dishes.

"Thank you, Haru."

She stopped again, and this time she rinsed off the suds and properly faced Dino. "You're welcome. Did you have fun?"

He nodded, and turned to the sleeping figures of his men. "I did. Surprisingly so."

Haru walked towards him, and stopped next to him to giggle at the snoring men. "You have really kind subordinates. Romario-san called me and said that the guys wanted to throw a birthday party to cheer you up, since you've been a little bit gloomy lately."

Dino laughed. "Yeah, I know. I've been a little out of it lately. Which reminds me, how did you actually manage to come here? I thought you said you're starting university around this time."

She smiled. "Well, let's just say that scoring well on midterms actually helps you out in more ways than one. I was sponsored to go on a two-way trip to Venice for my outstanding results. Reborn-san helped me with that. I'll have to fly back to Japan tomorrow night, though."

This made him frown. "Wait, so you came here for this?"

As if it was the most natural thing to fly to Venice and back to Japan in four days, Haru blinked up at him. "Well, yeah. I mean, you did help me out a lot. I can speak better Italian now among other things… Thanks to you."

Dino stared, not believing his ears. "You flew… all the way here… for this? Are you crazy?"

Haru laughed. "Well, I guess so."

Her laugh was so contagious that eventually he couldn't help but break out into a small laugh himself. "Thank you, Haru. I appreciate it."

She gave a mock salute. "I knew you would!"

He watched as she returned to do the sink, and decided that he wanted to show her something. He reached out for her hand, and surprised her when he squeezed lightly.

"Dino-san?"

His brown eyes shone mischievously and he motioned to a flight of stairs near the entrance to the common room. "Let's go to the rooftop. I'm gonna show you something."

She laughed, surprised as he led her to a flight of stairs and up a steep ladder, that eventually opened up at the rooftop. The wind blew, bringing about the scent of early spring with it. She rubbed her arms at the sudden chill, and she watched in awe at the display of lights of the town beneath. She had wondered about the mansion before, since it was situated in the mountains, how it would feel like to be on the highest point of the building and watch the lights go on in the city below. She looked up at Dino as he stood next to her.

"This is Venice at night. Quite a sight, huh."

Haru nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty."

Dino turned to look down at the girl next to him, and wondered why he felt so at ease with her near him. Even the silhouette of her face was pretty, and he didn't miss the smile she had on her face. He could feel the thrumming of his heart at the sight before him, and the sudden urge to kiss her hit him like a two-ton freight train. He mentally shook his head at the thought. Swallowing thickly at the thought, he averted his gaze to the city lights. A few minutes of silence went by when suddenly Haru spoke up from beside him.

"Dino-san."

"Hm?"

She turned to him then, and tugged onto his sleeve. "Hey, will you hate me if I changed?"

He turned to her, a brow raised. "Why would you say that?"

Her lips turned up into a smile, and he couldn't really be sure because it was dark, but her voice sounded distant when she spoke to him. Gently, her hand sought his, and she sighed as she felt the warmth of his bigger hand.

"I've been wondering… what happens if I lose myself? What would happen to others around me? Would they hate me if I turn into someone I wasn't? Even if it's for the family?"

She felt Dino squeezing her hand slightly before he replied.

"You know, for all the crazy things you've done, how do you think am I able to hate you?"

He felt himself smile as she giggled. "Haru, I won't ever hate you. Trust me."

"Thank you, Dino-san."

"You're welcome. Thank you for the ugly cake."

She giggled again. "You're welcome."

* * *

Dino closed his eyes as he breathed in the cool night air. Around him, the trees rustled a bit as the wind blew, and carefully he placed his mug of coffee onto the balcony railing. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his drawstring pajama pants, a smile graced his lips as the sounds of his rowdy subordinates flitted from the common room two floors below his balcony. They were probably watching a re-run of a horror movie. A bang fell over his eyes, and he blew it away, not bothering to blow again when the stubborn strand decided to fall back into the same place. There was a sound of something crashing somewhere in the large mansion, and he chuckled. His boys were overdoing things again, and he was sure the head maid would come storming into their rooms and give the boys a good spanking for shattering yet another plate. Or vase. Or maybe tea set.

He took a sip of his coffee, and leaned back against the railing, enjoying the way the light breeze was playing with his hair. His brown eyes scanned the dimmed interior of his room, the only light source coming from the table lamp next to his king-sized bed, creating shadows on the walls as the light bounced off the gun he placed on the dresser table before he took his shower earlier that night. The dark green bed sheets were tousled as he had earlier tried to sleep, but later after a bout of turning onto his sides without gaining much sleep, he kicked away the comforter and opted for a mug of coffee instead. His eyes zeroed in on his cell phone, resting innocently on top of the bedside table, and he couldn't help the smile gracing his lips. Holding the mug with both hands to warm them up, he chuckled when he remembered his conversation with a certain girl over the phone a few hours before he retired for the night.

The last time he saw her was on his 26th surprise birthday party, and ever since then he realized that he had been smiling to himself a lot more lately. Romario had even pointed it out after that one time he had just finished practicing his shots at the firing range, and Dino honestly wouldn't have noticed had the older man kept silent about it. It just felt natural for him to smile a little bit whenever his thoughts went to Haru over the simplest of things. He understood then, how she felt all those days whenever he saw how her eyes sparkled at the mention of Tsuna, how her smiles seemed a little bit more sweeter and her laughter even more contagious whenever they talked about how Tsuna had progressed so much over the years.

Dino was not stupid.

He knew he was fancying over a person who was in love.

And that the person she loved was not him, but his buddy.

But God help him, he could not stop the way his heart squeezed whenever she smiled at him, whenever she says _his_ name, and not Tsuna's or anyone else. He could not help that it pained him as he saw the sadness in her eyes when she came that one day and told him how Kyoko and Tsuna might as well just make it official that they were together.

" _I think… that Tsuna-san really really likes Kyoko-chan."_

She had smiled then, and tried to quell her tears by shifting her attention to the slice of Tiramisu in front of her. He had watched her fail, and seen the tears fall down her cheeks. Cake wasn't what she needed then, and he could only let her cry silently as she brought up her knees to her chest and buried her face into them. All he could do then, was to gently pat her head.

Call him an idiot, but he just couldn't help being attracted to her. When she came in that one day during Christmas Eve wearing that Santa Claus outfit, he nearly forgot how pretty she was even in the gaudiest of clothes. And he had almost wished out loud how he would like it if she would spend the night with him, only the two of them, at her favorite cake shop in town.

Finishing the coffee, and suddenly feeling the urge to lie down in his bed again, Dino stepped inside and closed the door to his balcony, drawing the drapes and flopping down onto his large bed. He turned his head to look at the cell phone again, and his lips cracked a smile.

Again.

He didn't know and frankly he couldn't really care why she had called him to tell him how excited she was when Reborn and Tsuna finally gave her a mission. Her happiness was contagious, and he remembered that even before she broke the news to him, he felt his lips break out into a smile.

" _Hey, hey. Dino-san! Guess what?"_

 _He chuckled as he heard her excited voice from the other end, not even bothering with pleasantries._

" _I'm guessing something good happened to you."_

 _She giggled gleefully. "I finally got my first mission! Banzai!"_

 _He didn't know what banzai really meant, but he laughed as he imagined her throwing out both her hands in the air while trying to balance the phone between her shoulder and ear._

" _Well, congratulations Haru. When is it?"_

 _Suddenly it was silent on her end, and then, almost whisperingly, she answered._

" _I can't tell you that, Dino-san. It's a se~cret."_

" _Sure it is, agent Haru."_

" _Make that Agent Namahage!"_

 _He laughed again at that. "What's with that name?"_

" _Well, Haru thought it was a good name, no?"_

 _Dino nodded at that. Well, that was Haru. It won't be her unless she does something bizarre. Like choosing a very peculiar undercover name._

" _So, when is it? Your first mission, that is."_

 _There was the sound of a door being closed, and the sound of ruffling cloth. He guessed she had moved into her bedroom, since there were no more background sounds. Only her steady breathing._

" _This coming Friday. Like three days from now."_

 _It was silent for a while, when Dino heard the ruffling sounds again, and a small whoosh. She was most probably lying down in her bed._

" _Haru? What's wrong?"_

" _Um… Dino-san?"_

 _He raised a brow as the tone of her voice changed completely from the whimsical one she had used seconds ago._

" _I-I'm… I'm scared… I think. I mean, I shouldn't be, right? I'm a trained Vongola fighter, aren't I? It's funny for me to feel scared…"_

 _He took a breath, and lied down in the comforts of his mattress as well. "It's not weird. It's normal for you to feel like that."_

" _If I do… you know… If I hurt someone… Will everyone hate me?"_

" _You know, you asked me about the same thing that time. On the rooftop."_

 _She became silent again, before she spoke up, her voice barely heard. "Yes, I did, didn't I?"_

 _Dino ran a hand through his hair, and wondered if they would have actually had this conversation at all if Haru hadn't climbed over his balcony that time when she was sixteen. How things would have been if they remained as mere acquaintances. Probably not._

" _After all the crazy things you've done-" He smiled when he heard her chuckle. "How do you think am I able to hate you?"_

" _I'm not that crazy, Dino-san."_

" _Really now?"_

" _Namahage's a perfectly normal name!" She ended up laughing again, and he almost sighed in relief at the sound. He heard her take a breath, and could almost see the smile she had on at that time._

" _But really, Haru. You'll be okay. You're Reborn's student aren't you?"_

" _I'm the best student… I think. Hahi, I might be even better than you and Tsuna-san!"_

" _Well, he wouldn't have given you the mission if he knew you couldn't do it. Have more faith in yourself, Haru."_

" _Thank you, Dino-san."_

" _And I do think that I'm better than you. I'm the senpai after all, right?"_

 _He heard her laughter again. "Reaaally? I just learned how to do a German Suplex from Lal-san ya know? I don't think you can do that huh? Right? Right?"_

" _What do you take me for, Miss Haru Miura? I'm a mafia boss, you know. You ought to be a little more afraid of me, no?"_

 _She made a mock gasp. "I forgot you were a boss!"_

 _He scratched his head. "Hey, Haru-"_

" _Because you're a very easy person to talk to, Dino-san. So sometimes I forget that I'm friends with a mafia Boss."_

 _The way she sounded so earnest and so truthful made him pause. Then when she laughed, he could feel the butterflies in his stomach flutter. Even though no one was there, he buried his positively burning face into a pillow._

"… _Geez, you're making me blush, Haru."_

" _Dino-san is a kind man."_

 _He let out a breath, and could feel his face crack a large smile, not unlike that of a lovesick man._

" _Thank you, Haru."_

 _She giggled. And he honestly felt like giggling too, had he not reminded himself not to seem too much of a goof. At least not in front of her._

" _Dino-san too. Thank you. I feel better now."_

 _The last words were spoken above a whisper, and he had to pinch himself to not get weird ideas._

" _Well, that's good."_

" _I wonder why, Dino-san?"_

"… _Maybe you're starting to fall for me."_

 _For a few seconds, it seemed as if she was no longer on the phone. And Dino internally groaned and repeatedly cursed at himself just after he said that out loud. He didn't know why he said it, but he did and he didn't really want to know how she would respond._

 _A few more seconds when he heard her breathing, and suddenly she was laughing._

" _Maybe I am! Dino-san, you're so funny!"_

 _He dragged a hand down his face, and cursed himself some more. 'Way to go, idiot. She just thought you were joking.'_

 _Her laughter died down, and she sighed after she managed to calm down. "Thank you again, Dino-san. You really made my day."_

" _You're welcome. I'm glad you feel that way."_

"… _Wish me luck for the mission, alright?"_

" _Will always, Haru. Go kick some asses, alright?"_

" _Sir, Yessir! Bye bye, Dino-Boss!"_

 _He nodded, just for the hell of it. "Yeah, bye."_

 _Dino still had the phone by his ear, even after she had hung up. Sighing, he placed the phone on the bedside table and reminded himself to do some more firing practices the next day just so he could clear his mind._

He blinked as he stared off into the ceiling, his arms limp by his sides as he lied still in the middle of the bed. By then he had already shed the grey tee he had been wearing, and the tattoos on his body looked an even darker shade in the dimmed room. He thought of how she had called to tell him about something completely unrelated to him, and knew that somewhere inside her, he must be someone important to her, if only a little. Dino could feel his ears warming at the thought that they were becoming a lot closer than ordinary friends, and that made him smile again.

A realization suddenly struck him in the midst of his self-satisfaction, and his eyes widened. Unbidden, he voiced out a statement that made every sense in the world right then.

"I'm in love."

He sat up, and put a hand over his left side of his chest. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly, realizing how fast his heart was beating at the realization. And not even a second later, he chuckled. The chuckles escalated into full-blown laughter as he flopped back onto his bed, a large grin on his face.

Dino knew he felt _something_ before. An attraction, maybe a crush… but he knew how he felt then. He hadn't felt like this in quite a while, not after that one girl who left him after knowing about his involvement with the mafia. And he almost forgot how it felt like to realize that he was in love. Gosh, Romario must have realized it sooner than he did.

How could he have forgotten that feeling?

"I'm in love, Haru."

* * *

(Four years later)

It was one of those times when he would suddenly wake up, and it was not because he was jolted awake or because Romario came to pull away the covers. His brown eyes just happened to flutter open, revealing his dark surroundings. He sat up, bed hair covering his eyes, and reached a hand under his white shirt to scratch at a mildly itchy spot on his stomach. Squinting his eyes to look at the glow-in-the-dark digital clock on the bedside table, Dino sighed as he noted it was only four in the morning. And yet he didn't feel sleepy at all. Shrugging, he padded towards the door to go downstairs. Might as well chug down a glass of water while at it. And maybe take a walk in the training courtyard just for the hell of it.

He blinked as he saw the light from the kitchen, and wondered if one of his men were sleepwalking again. As he made his way to the lit kitchen, he idly wondered that he ought to send them for medical checkups soon.

Turning the corner, he was about to call out to them when he stopped by the doorway. A small smile found its way onto his sleepy face when he found her sitting on a counter top, nursing a mug in her small hands. She was staring off outside the kitchen window, not noticing his presence. The pastel blue pajama top she was wearing had green dinosaur cartoon prints all over it that was probably a size bigger, the sleeves were too long and covered her hands, and the hem ended mid thigh, revealing a pair of legs in matching pajama pants which she had to fold a few times at her ankles. Her shoulder-length hair was let down, and when she suddenly sneezed, he couldn't help his chuckle at how cute she looked in it. His chuckle was cut short when she hurriedly turned her head at the sound, eyes wide. He put up his two hands, and dropped them by his sides as she sighed when she saw him.

"Good morning, Dino-san."

Said name nodded at her. She motioned to her mug as he leaned against the counter, palms flat against the cool marble surface, just inches next to her thighs.

"I hope you don't mind me drinking this milk, Dino-san."

"Not at all. You're part of the family right now, Haru."

She stopped blowing on the hot milk and turned to him. Her brown eyes wavered for a bit, before she nodded in understanding, saying out a silent 'okay' before she sipped on the milk.

"Why are you up at this hour, Haru?"

Haru placed the mug onto her thighs, and watched her image reflected onto the kitchen window.

"I couldn't sleep. I kind of woke up late yesterday before I came here."

Dino nodded in understanding, and laid his eyes on the same kitchen window. He smiled at her through their reflection on the glass. She didn't seem too keen on smiling back, as her eyes looked somewhere else when they caught his through the reflection.

"How about you, Dino-san?"

He turned his gaze downwards, watching the indoor slippers she was wearing hanging off her small feet.

"I just woke up. And now I don't feel like sleeping anymore."

She sipped her milk again. "Hm…"

Haru contemplated for a few seconds, before she turned to him and put out her mug to him.

"Here, warm milk helps you sleep. Dino-san can have some if you want."

Dino blinked at the mug, then at her, unsure if she realized that she had just drank from the same mug. He wondered if Haru wasn't as particular when it came to indirect kisses as Tsuna had been. He'd thought that most Japanese were conscious of these things. Probably not, he thought, as he took the mug from her.

Haru watched silently as he downed the milk in one go.

The man wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and tilted his head sideways when he noticed Haru was looking at the mug in his hands almost forlornly. A thought struck his head. Maybe, she actually _was_ thinking about the kiss. He grinned and waved the mug in front of her face.

"What are you looking at? Don't tell me you were thinking about an indirect kiss?"

She slightly frowned at that, and pointed at the empty mug in his hands.

"No, I was just about to tell you that you finished the milk. I haven't even finished half of it, Dino-san."

Ah, he should have known better.

"Alright, sorry. I'll make another one for you."

He had his back to her as he waited for the microwave to finish heating up the milk he had just poured. Thirty seconds later the microwave dinged, and he carefully pulled out the mug and let it to cool for a bit on the counter top.

"Dino-san, what was that about an indirect kiss?"

He turned around, and handed her the mug. "Weren't you drinking from that mug before you gave it to me? Isn't that like, an indirect kiss or something?"

Dino watched as Haru tilted her head sideways as her brown eyes watched him, trying to absorb what he meant, when realization downed upon her. He blinked as one corner of her lips lifted up as she watched him.

Was that… was she smirking at him?

"Dino-san, I'm not a teenager anymore."

He cleared his throat, embarrassed at even voicing out such boyish thoughts. Leaning against the counter next to her, he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, yeah. I was just teasing you. You were a lot more fun to tease back then."

She was silently looking down into her mug then, all traces of the smirk she had gone. They stayed there, not saying anything to each other. Haru was sipping on her warm milk, content just staying silent when she heard Dino sigh.

"Before I woke up, I was dreaming of those times when our base was still in Venice."

He turned to her, and she held the mug to her lips, the edges touching her lower lip as she said nothing.

"I remembered that time when you called me about your first mission."

"Oh, that one."

"You were happy."

She turned to him, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "I was, wasn't I?"

Her eyes wavered again when his eyes caught hers, and she turned back to sipping her milk.

"The last time we met was two years ago. And honestly, now that I'm seeing you again, I don't know how I should act around you."

He saw her place the mug next to her, and the way her fists clenched over the hem of her pajama top.

"I'm sorry."

Dino turned to her, almost wanting to reach out, tuck her hair behind her ear, and see her cheeks. Those cheeks where at one time, smile lines had appeared as naturally as she breathed. Instead, he crossed his arms against his chest.

"What for? You did nothing wrong."

She hopped off the counter, and had her back to him.

"I've changed, Dino-san. I'm not the same as I was before. I too am not so sure how I should act around you."

He reached out a hand, and wrapped his fingers around the tips of her smaller fingers. She flinched at the contact, but she didn't move her hand away.

"What happened?"

He saw her turn her head a bit, and felt her fingers squeezing back even a little.

"I'm not ready to tell you that. I'm sorry, Dino-san."

She gave his fingers a last squeeze before she hurried back to her room. His eyes turned to the unfinished milk on the counter top, and he cursed out loud.

Turning off the lights, he stormed out of the kitchen and headed towards the nearest courtyard. He took a few breaths, feeling his body cooling down a little bit. Turning to the sky, he let out a huge sigh.

"Calm down, Dino."

He took a seat on one of the benches available, and let out a chuckle.

Of all the things he could say to her, why on earth did he bring up a sore subject. Instead of making her feel like she belonged there, why did he have to dig up the past?

Dino wondered if there would ever be a time she would smile and laugh again.

Like she always had.

Because he knew, deep inside her, there was still the girl who yearned to smile and laugh again.

Like the sunflower that she was.

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright, so here's the second chapter. I hope it's not that confusing. Thank you again for the reviews. The next chapter is underway, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading the coming chapters too. ^^


	4. Chapter 3: Okonomiyaki

**Pegasus In A Field of Spring**

 **A/N:** Hey there, I see that I haven't been updating in a while. Teehee. But anyway, I just wanted to tell you that from this point onwards the story will be having lot of scenes bordering on M, but not quite M-rated. I actually have similar chapters, but with adult themes so I've posted another entry in the M-rated section. A fellow writer suggested that I do this to be fair to others. So yeah. there you have it. This one here will be strictly clean (sort of). Because yeah, I'm a pervert. Who isn't?

This chapter is a flashback chapter.

So enjoy ^^

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** Katekyou Hitman Reborn! does not belong to me.

 _Flashbacks_

' _inner thoughts'  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Feelings Like Okonomiyaki**

Dino was by no means a promiscuous man, but at times he wished he was. Maybe if he went out on dates and slept around like some of the people he knew did on the weekends then he probably would forget about her. He might have not had sleepless nights of thinking about the curve of her lips as she smiled at him, wondering if her skin was as soft as they seemed to be, how it would feel like to have her wrapped around him as he holds her tight and hear her ardent breathing in his ears.

"You say you're not interested, Cavallone Decimo, but you are still but a man, no?"

He didn't answer to that, and kept his mouth shut. Not being interested in someone didn't mean that he couldn't get turned on by a woman who was stripping in front of him. The smell of the cigarettes that she had between her lips minutes before he had entered her room clouded his senses a little bit. That, or the fact that he hadn't touched a woman for nearly a year (maybe more) and now he was in a room of a beautiful woman he'd met at a dinner party some weeks ago. She was right, anyway. For a guy who had no interest in the woman, his body still felt aroused.

Sitting on the bed with his back resting on the headboard and a knee turned up, he watched silently as the black-haired woman untie the silk bathrobe she wore prior to him entering the room. Brown eyes followed the soft material as it slid down her well-defined body to drop onto the floor and pool around her ankles. He could feel his mouth drying up as he looked up from her ankles, up her long limber legs. The scant lacy lingerie she wore making him even more excited than he should be. Whoever said that lace underwear were a turn-on was definitely right, and fleetingly Dino questioned the reason behind that.

If it was Haru, she would say it was because all men were wolves.

He nearly let out a laugh at that.

She saw the glaze in his eyes, and wasted no time climbing onto the large canopy bed. Her red painted lips twisted into a smirk as his eyes lazily turned to look at her face when she eased his upturned knee down, and crawled onto his lap. There was a slight hitch in his breathing as her hands made quick work of unbuttoning his white shirt. She could feel herself smiling wider as he placed his hands on her thighs, absently running them up and down the smooth expanse of skin. Her small hands slowly slid up his exposed abdomen, feeling the jump of his muscles as her fingernails scraped his tattoos.

He could hear the sounds from the room next to them, and could feel himself getting more hard at the loud moans through the walls. The walls weren't that thin, so he guessed the guy next door was having a hell of a time. The woman in his lap started to move a little, and her mischievous giggle did nothing to quell the growing strain in his pants.

God, how he needed this. He might sound like an asshole, but it didn't matter who she was. As long as he could release his frustrations.

He couldn't help the groan from his lips as she licked a path from his chest to the hollow of his neck, and whispered into his ear. "Why are you so quiet, Cavallone?"

Dino grunted as she bit his earlobe, not wanting to tell her that he was afraid another woman's name would come out of his lips if he opened his mouth. She might stop and pull back if he did, and at the pace they were going now it would be torture if she stopped just then. He wasn't going to come back to his mansion having to take care of himself like a virgin boy.

"I don't mind though, 'cause you're very hot."

He hummed at that. Yes, he heard that a lot. And look where he was now, thousands of miles away from the woman he really wanted, and in a hotel room getting it on with a woman he barely knew. He wasn't surprised if Reborn would laugh at him in the most condescending way possible, or probably smack him on the head before shooting him with a Deathperation Bullet. But even if he was as 'hot' as the women around him had told him so, he knew Haru wasn't the type to be impressed by looks. Not her. That was what made him love her all the more that it ached just thinking about it.

The feel of the woman's lips on his jaw brought him back to the moment at hand. Just when she rested her forehead onto his and made a move to kiss him on the lips, he reflexively turned his head a bit to avoid her. He cursed himself, and waited for the woman to question him and flip out at the fact that he made it clear what he actually wanted from her.

She surprised him though when she laughed, eyes full of mirth and her smile teasing as though mocking him. "No kissing huh? I see now, is it another woman? What is it, you can't have her and now you're just gonna screw anyone who looks good?"

He turned to her, and momentarily froze her with the glare in his brown eyes. "You were the one who asked for me, weren't you, _signora_."

The bite in his words unnerved her, but she recovered just as fast. Her red lips contorted into a smirk, and she scoffed as she scraped her red-painted nails across his hard chest. "Whatever. Doesn't change the fact that you're turned on."

"I'll do whatever I want then, since you're such a sour puss." He turned back to look at her as she mouthed her way down his torso, hands sliding outwards to his hips to keep him there.

He could feel her nose brush him, and couldn't stop the way his breaths were coming heavier than usual, heart pounding in his ears, and let out a breath as he unwittingly conjured the image of the Japanese girl behind his closed eyelids. Her ministrations were driving him crazy, up to the point he had to bite his own tongue to not say Haru's name out loud.

The woman chuckled at the low rumble of his voice as he groaned at her antics, "Not so innocent now are we?"

Dino almost scoffed at himself. The way he was, innocent was far from it. He didn't know why but the Vongolas –except Kyoya- respected him and viewed him as if he was a kind person, Haru was no different. If anything, he would go as far as to say that the twenty-year old woman thought of him as a respectful older brother.

He was _not_ enjoying this. He knew that he _shouldn't_ be, and cursed at himself under his breath.

How was _he_ a respectful person? He was far from that.

The sight of Haru's crying face as she delivered the wedding invitation into his office was forever burned into his memory. That had been three months prior, and in a couple of days he would be at Miyagi for the wedding. Meeting her then would be inevitable, and he knew she would be putting up that mask of hers while keeping all the pain locked behind it. He wanted so bad to hold her in his arms and show her that she was loved. The frustration of not really having the guts to take that pain away from her was what brought him where he was now. He would like to believe that he was raised better than this. Better than a coward.

Throwing his head back into the headboard, he couldn't care anymore as he came undone, the burned image of Haru resurfacing beneath his closed eyelids.

' _Whatever. I don't care anymore.'_

* * *

To Chrome, watching her twirl around in the wedding dress was like watching an angel dancing under the sun, for the sight was ethereal. Her hand touched the apple of her cheek, just beneath her prosthetic eye, and wondered what it would feel like to witness Kyoko's wedding day if she had both eyes. A smile lit up her face as the bride turned to her, face glowing.

"You're beautiful, Kyoko-chan. Isn't she, Chrome?"

The former Guardian turned to the owner of the voice standing next to the bride, and nodded mutely. Haru was carefully putting the veil over Kyoko's head, the hilt of her gun peeking from the holster on her waist, seemingly out of place in the presence of a bride in her wedding dress. There was the voice of Lambo fooling around coming from the walkie-talkie strapped onto the back pocket of her long black slacks, a black wire running up her small back, over the curve behind her right ear and an earphone was plugged into that ear. The black shoulder holster that she used to store the small throw knives over her ribs looked out of place against the stark white of her shirt. Her black jacket was folded on top of the bed, and the Mist Flame user wondered if all the ammo on Haru's small body was enough for the gang of enemies coming to disrupt the big day. She wondered fleetingly if she should ask help from Rokudo.

Personally, Chrome had not agreed to it when Yamamoto told her that Reborn appointed Haru to be on the lookout squad. She had gone to Haru's room to meet up with the woman, only to find her curled up in bed with the marks of dried tears. Chrome knew then, that it had been Haru's choice and what it meant for the woman to decide on it.

Haru might have done a good job at hiding from the other guys and Kyoko. But Chrome was nothing if not observant. Being an illusionist herself, she could _see_ how the brown-haired woman was faking her smiles and her laughter. What made it even more painful to see was that she knew how it tore Haru to pieces trying to be happy for the both of her two important people.

Twisting her fingers into her lap, Chrome drew a deep breath. She knew she would be hurting Haru if she asked, but she still hoped that the woman would change her mind.

"Haru-chan, why aren't you in a dress?" Said name turned to Chrome, one eyebrow raised and a safety pin between her lips.

The brown-haired woman paused for a moment, and as she put the pin into a small box, she picked up her jacket and slipped her arms through the sleeves. There was no necktie around her collar, and as she buttoned up her jacket, she smiled.

"I'll have to be on the lookout throughout the ceremony," She noticed that Kyoko's bright smile faltered a bit as Haru continued, "but I'll be joining you guys for the reception later tonight."

Chrome nodded, understanding and knowing not to ask further. She knew if it hadn't been for the sake of convincing everyone that she was fine and the fact that as much as she loved Tsuna, she loved Kyoko just as much, Chrome knew Haru would have skipped going to the reception as well. Her heart ached even as she smiled when Haru excused herself to set up her gear.

Just before she walked out the door, Haru turned around and smiled at them both. "Congratulations, Kyoko-chan. I promise I'll protect this wedding."

Even for a moment, it was as if the old cheery Haru Miura was right there.

The door closed with a soft click, and Chrome turned to Kyoko to gently squeeze the bride's trembling hands. "She's going to be okay, right, Chrome-chan?"

The Mist user nodded, and gave another smile to reassure Kyoko.

"She is."

* * *

The wedding was done outdoors, in the garden on the top of a hill overlooking Matsushima bay. Chairs were arranged for the guests to witness the matrimony under the pavilion, and the blossoming Sakura trees surrounding the venue was beautiful. Sitting at the last few rows next to Squalo and Lussuria, Dino closed his eyes as he breathed in the air. When he opened his eyes, Tsuna was already there, the flash of nervousness in his eyes making him smile. Next to the Vongola Decimo stood Yamamoto as the best man, and for once Gokudera was not there next to his beloved Juudaime. The young boss had asked him to be the best man in the first place, but Dino declined the offer. He cared for Tsuna as a big brother would his younger sibling, but he didn't want to intrude in a ceremony where family was important. A Vongola Guardian would be the best person in Dino's opinion, and he was earnest when he told Tsuna that.

If they were to go back six years, Dino wouldn't have thought that he would be feeling a mix of conflicting emotions at Tsuna's wedding. He had always thought he would be one of the happiest person to be able to see the Japanese man tie the knot with the woman he loved more than anything. Now that finally it was the most anticipated day, he was both happy and sad. He earnestly felt happy for Tsuna, but he couldn't help that tiny part of him that hated how all the happiness surrounding them was something entirely opposite for another.

He couldn't find her anywhere as he searched for her face. Standing up from his seat, he found Chrome watching him. He motioned her to meet him at the back, and excusing himself from Lussuria's enthusiastic chats, Dino met up with the former Mist Guardian.

"Hello, Cavallone-san."

He nodded and greeted her back. The woman watched silently as he tried to find the right words to ask, when she finally smiled.

"You're looking for Haru-chan, aren't you?"

Dino seemed guilty when he nodded, and stuffing his hands into his pockets he started. "Where is she?"

For a few seconds, Chrome's smile faltered as she lowered her eyes. A pained look crossed her face as she looked up at him. She motioned to a hotel behind him, "She's on standby duty… on top of that hotel's roof."

"For enemies? Is it Reborn again?"

There was a hardness in her functioning eye as Chrome said, "She volunteered."

He could feel his chest ache at the fact that she was avoiding the ceremony, when he knew she would feel just as torn as he was. Most probably even more. Because she was the one hurting the most. Chrome could feel herself soften at the emotions she could clearly see swimming in his brown eyes. She knew how much the mafia boss cared for her friend, and she gently placed a hand on his arm.

"You are angry, Cavallone-san."

He was taken aback at the statement, and frowned as he looked away. "How can I not be? She's your best friend aren't you? Why would you let her do that?"

Chrome's eyes wavered, and she pulled her hand back. He could see the pain in her eyes as she finally forced a small smile.

"She is trying to cope with things, please understand that."

The blonde-haired man didn't know what to say to that. His eyes flickered to the commotion as the bride's car arrived. He watched Chrome bow a little, and walked to where she had been seated a few minutes ago.

The wind blew, and the Sakura petals scattered over the pavilion and the guests. The sight was beautiful. Too beautiful. Everyone waited in anticipation for the bride to come, and there were smiles everywhere.

Sighing, he made a decision to search for Haru instead. ' _Sorry, Tsuna.'_

He wasn't going to leave her by herself.

* * *

Heading hurriedly to the elevators, Dino noted that for a tourist attraction, the hotel wasn't as busy as he thought it would be. When he saw a few of Vongola men greeting him at the lobby, he knew then that it was probably because the Vongolas rented out the whole place to secure the safety of both the young boss and his bride. A wry smile escaped his lips.

Of course they would, there will certainly be enemies planning to folly the wedding by targeting the bride.

It was then that he understood why Haru would want to volunteer. Of course she would, they would be targeting her loved ones. She would never be the type to sit back and let just anyone destroy what would be the happiest moment for Tsuna.

He tapped his foot as the elevator went up, being a little impatient. The car stopped at the topmost level, and he had to take a flight of stairs to reach the rooftop. As he opened the door to the roof, he was met with white sheets being left to dry out. It was probably part of the disguise, he thought as he weaved his way through the many drying cloths.

He heard her voice and silently he made his way through the sheets, only to see Gokudera's back. The Storm Guardian was smoking on a cigarette, and turned around to look at Dino as he noticed the Cavallone's arrival. Haru didn't seem to notice as she sat behind the large sniper rifle she had set up, and Gokudera nodded mutely as the mafia boss motioned for him to keep quiet.

She had propped the rifle outwards using a bi-pod, crouching on a knee while propping the other up close to her chest. She aligned her good eye to see through the scope and had her cheek welded to the weapon, the butt secured safely in the pocket of her right shoulder. Gokudera let out some smoke, and watched as Haru put her finger on the trigger, ready to shoot.

Reborn had told him that Haru was especially good at aiming, and could rival even the Cavallone Decimo if she wanted to. A breeze blew, and Dino could feel himself swallowing as he watched her figure. He couldn't help the thought that the sight of her at that moment sent shivers down his spine. He cursed inwardly as lewd thoughts ran through his head, and he hated himself for it.

A few strands of hair escaped the small bun at the back of her head, and some of them brushed her cheek. She didn't seem to mind her hair when she squeezed the trigger and let out a shot. Hitting the target on his shoulder with the artificial bullet, she watched silently as the figure slumped to the ground in a deep sleep. Sliding the bolt to eject the spent casing, Haru loaded another cartridge and reported back to the walkie-talkie she had strapped at her backpocket.

The rooftop was an ideal spot for a sniper, as it did not leave her open and unguarded. For a heartbeat, her eye stopped moving as she watched a scene unfurl by the altar through the scope. Dino checked the time on his watch, and could guess that she must have seen the bride standing next to Tsuna. Without turning around, she continued watching the surroundings leading to the wedding pavilion using the scope.

"What is it now, Gokudera-san."

Said name scratched at his chin, letting out some smoke. "Why are you running away?"

"Running from what? As you can see now I have nowhere to go-" she shot at another target. "I'm just doing my job as I'm told."

Gokudera was silent for a few seconds as he watched the 'cleaners' from the Giglio Nero Famiglia make quick work of the shot targets. "You know what I'm talking about."

She remained in her lowered position before she spoke up, eyes never leaving the scope. "…It's none of your business."

Gokudera finished the previous cigarette, and lit up another, and that made her throw a dirty look at him before she turned to the sniper gun.

"In the beginning, you never really wanted me to be with him, right? So here I am, protecting my boss while I let my best friend marry the man she loves. So pray tell me, Gokudera-san. Why are you still hounding me about this?"

He let out some smoke, "Because you're my friend, you stupid woman. I don't want you hurting here by yourself when everyone else is happy. You… You still in love with Juudaime, aren't you?"

She didn't answer, and after a moment she shot another bullet at a familiar car. She watched the car tire burst and the car swerve into the other opposite lane. The family members who were on standby in a nearby van quickly dealt with the mess.

"…I'm not."

Dino bit back a sigh as Gokudera smirked. "You're lying."

A brown eyebrow twitched. "I told you I'm not."

"Bullshit. Right now all you want to do is stop everything, right?"

There was a tightening in her jaw, and Dino wondered if she was capable to be mad enough to throw the weapon at the Storm Guardian. "Back off, Gokudera-san."

Gokudera stomped the cigarette with the heel of his shoe just like he did to the one before. "I wouldn't back off unless you admit that you're running away."

It took a few silent moments when she finally spoke up, her voice barely heard. "What do you want me to say?"

"Haru-"

Her fists tightened around the gun, and without turning around, she asked him again. "What do you want me to do? Go on a rampage? Plant a bomb somewhere around them?"

She glanced at him, and returned to the scope. "Kill someone?"

Gokudera crossed his arms. "You should start by facing all of us and don't lie to us anymore about whatever it is you're feeling. Let go of Juudaime. He's not the one for you. If you continue like this then you're gonna hurt yourself."

"That's rich, coming from you. Shut up already. This is my way of coping."

"And while you're doing this, boss is still feeling guilty. I don't want him blaming himself if you do something stupid to yourself."

Haru didn't move an inch as she heard Gokudera turn around. She added in a low voice, enough for him to hear. "Asshole."

"Stupid woman."

She stayed rooted on her spot, unaware that Gokudera exchanged nods with Dino a few feet behind her.

When she thought no one was there, she sat up from her position. Drawing up her knees, she rested her chin against them and sat there silently watching as the cleaners moved away all the unconscious bodies, the happy people at the wedding unaware of what actually took place. There was Lambo's voice as he reported that all was clear, and when he was finished, she kept quiet before she finally replied him.

Dino silently made his way to her, and quickly she turned around, knife pointed at him from her crouched position.

He was not surprised to see dried tear tracks running down either sides of her cheeks, and her red nose. Her brown eyes widened when she noticed who it was, and quickly she turned around to hide her face. Hurriedly she started to disassemble her gear, her movements awkward and jerky as she unloaded the weapon and pushed the gun into a large bag. Her hands trembled when she slipped the knife back into the holster in side her suit. He lowered himself on one knee next to her and held her hand.

"Haru-"

"I'm sorry, I was just cleaning up-"

He placed a thumb over her lips, and watched painfully as her eyes glazed over with new tears. A tear escape her eye, and he gathered her face into his hands.

"You are hurt."

She looked away, and her forehead frowned as she tried to push him away. "Don't look at me, I'm ugly right now."

He brought her face to him, "You are hurt. Why are you pretending as if you're not?"

She stared at him, and looked at him as if she knew something he didn't.

"Because I love Tsuna-san." She finally said, and she covered her face as fresh tears flowed freely.

"And I…And I love Kyoko-san too. Because I want both of them to be happy. And if… if I show this side of me to them, then I wouldn't be able to make them happy."

"And so you run away. And keep everything to yourself."

She nodded, and as he gently pried her hands away from her face she let him. "That's just who I am."

Dino agreed to her on that. Pulling out a napkin, he dabbed at her tears as he cupped her cheek in one hand. Her eyes fluttered close as he dried her tears, snuggling into the warmth of his hand as she took a shaky breath. The sunlight reflected the beads of tears on her wet eyelashes, and even though the red puff underneath her eyes were prominent, the sight of her face stole his breath away, and not for the first time too.

He felt his cheeks warm up a little as she covered his hand with her small one, and couldn't stop the smile on his lips as she opened her eyes. "Your hand's warm."

"Really? Thanks."

She smiled back, and he could feel the butterflies in his stomach dance around. Like any other time, he wanted to kiss those lips and take the pain away. Instead he pulled back a little, sitting fully on the rooftop with her in front of him.

"Do you feel better?"

Haru's smile turned wry and she managed to scoff a little. "I don't know, really. Everything's just… screwed up… I guess."

He spread out his arms, a small grin on his face. A small grin to hide the pain in his own eyes, pain for not being able to come up of a way to make her just forget everything.

"C'mere."

She hesitated, and when he wiggled his eyebrows, somehow managing to make her laugh a little, she finally gave in and let his strong arms wrap her. Closing her eyes, she rested her face into his chest and sighed. He hoped she hadn't though, afraid that she would hear the thrumming in his heart and tell that her hot breath was doing things to him.

He swallowed, and praying that he didn't sound too desperate, he said, "What's making everything screwed up? Maybe if you say it out you'll feel a little better."

He hoped so.

She kept silent for a few seconds, before she started. "My feelings are a jumbled mess. Like Okonomiyaki."

He laughed, and she could feel herself smile a little before she continued.

"I feel so angry at myself because as much as I want to make them smile, I hate them for not looking at me. I hate Tsuna-san for believing me when I lied to make him feel better. I hate that Kyoko-chan think I don't have any more feelings for him. But I want them… to be happy. I don't know what to feel anymore."

"Then forgive yourself. The reason you're so confused right now is because you feel guilty for hating them. Acknowledge that you're angry first, only then you can forgive yourself. Cherish yourself more. And then you can make them happy."

She looked up into his face, her eyes searching his for some truth behind those words. He couldn't blame her, she had lived her life with people who trick others to survive. Like the Varia. He just learned a few weeks ago that she had spent a few weeks with the Elite Squad for some endurance practice.

He remembered how he had felt like punching someone when he heard the news from Romario.

Haru finally blinked, and nodded. "You probably went through the same thing, Dino-san."

He raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Romario-san said you hated yourself at one time, for being weak. I think he meant the time when you started taking over your dad."

Dino nodded. "So I did. And you should do the same."

She nodded, her lips kicking up into a smile. It was small, but it was there.

"Alright. I forgive myself."

"Good."

She nodded. "Yep, good."

Haru stayed in his arms for a few silent minutes, relishing his warmth. The both of them jumped a little as her walkie-talkie crackled and Lambo's voice was heard, fooling around again. She couldn't help the bubbles of laughter from her lips, and Dino joined her.

"You feeling better now?"

He felt her nod, reluctantly he loosened his arms around her. She stood up, and went to gather the bag with all the gear she used and turned around just in time to see him standing up as well. She opened her mouth to say something when another breeze blew. Flower petals swam around her in the air, and he froze in his spot as her eyes shone, admiring the Sakura petals.

His hands itched to tuck the strands of hair tickling her cheeks behind an ear as she turned to him. She was smiling a little as she gathered a few petals in her cupped hands, and he felt scared at how much he loved her.

"Dino-san, will you be my date for tonight's reception?"

He didn't notice he was staring, when she called out to him again. "Dino-san?"

He blinked, and found himself agreeing.

* * *

Haru felt herself smile as she watched how Kyoko just glowed that night. From across the ballroom, she saw Timoteo waving at her and she waved back in return. Bianci was forcing an annoyed-looking Gokudera for a dance when she spotted Yamamoto trying to ease the situation. He turned to her when he felt her eyes on him, and he nodded at her. The boyish grin on his face betrayed the numerous unspeakable things he had done for the family, and Haru could feel herself relate to that.

"You look pretty tonight, Haru-nee."

She turned to look at the owner of the voice, and her smile widened as she saw Fuuta. She used a hand to motion his height, who had long surpassed hers. "Thank you."

He laughed a little as she playfully pinched his cheek. "I heard from Lambo that the lookout squad cleared the intruders in record time. You guys are awesome."

Haru grinned, and had to tiptoe as she ruffled his hair. "Anything to keep you guys safe, I'll gladly do anything."

She meant it. Fuuta excused himself shortly after, and Haru let out a sigh as she heard laughter when Iemitsu wrestled Kyoko from Tsuna's grasp. The pain was still there, but she promised herself that she would deal with it. Her eyes turned to the glossy floor, and she felt herself smile a little.

As long as they were happy.

When she looked up, her eyes caught his brown ones. He was on the balcony of the mansion the Vongolas rented out for the reception, leaning against the railings. The moon shone brightly that night and cast a soft glow around him, and for a while she could feel her cheeks warming up just a little as he smiled at her.

Haru had known for a while, that Dino was a handsome man. She wondered if she had used up her lifetime's luck the moment she remembered how kind he was to her.

She joined him on the balcony, and she could feel goose bumps forming on her arms as she realized how chilly it was.

"What are you doing out here, Dino-san? It's cool out."

He shrugged, and turned to face out of the balcony. "I needed to cool my head."

She hummed and turned around as well. The view overlooking Matsushima bay was breathtaking, and she was glad that Kyoko chose the place. Haru used her hands to rub her arms as she felt another chill before she spoke up from beside him.

"Thank you again, Dino-san."

He was quiet for a while, and then she heard rustling. When she turned to look at him, he gently placed his black suit on her shoulders. She felt her lips turning up at his kind gesture, and he smiled back, patting her head.

"You're welcome, but it was also selfish on my part."

She raised a brow, and cocked a head to the side as he placed his hands into his pockets. "Selfish?"

He looked away for a while, and when he looked into her eyes again, it felt as if he was looking at the real her. His lips were upturned into his usual smile, but his brown eyes had a glint to them that she couldn't quite place a name on.

"I wanted to see you smile, that's why."

She blinked, and suddenly Haru felt herself feeling embarrassed. He looked embarrassed himself, and he cleared his throat.

He turned to face the bay, and silently apologized. "Sorry, that was weird wasn't it."

Haru tried to find the right words to tell him, because she didn't want him to feel bad. Not after he had been so kind to her. The events from when she had started working with the Vongola played through her head, and she came to the realize that he had been nothing but kind to her. And gentle. And understanding.

"No, it's not. Dino-san, you're too kind. Sometimes I wonder-"

She gasped, and covered her mouth before she blurted out something very rude. Peeking up to look into his face, Haru blinked when she saw his curios eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder, if you have someone important too."

He seemed taken aback by that, but he quickly recovered when he chuckled. "Does Romario and my subordinates count?"

"Ah, you mean important _people_."

"Yep."

Haru hummed in understanding, and tightening the suit around her as another breeze blew, she closed her eyes. Breathing in the air around her, she felt her shoulders relax as the scent of Dino's cologne washed over her like a blanket. Warm, and soothing. The ache in her heart from earlier dulled a bit as she recalled how he had held her in his arms on the rooftop. Without opening her eyes, she softly spoke up into the wind.

"You're a kind person, Dino-san."

* * *

' _Ah man… how can she be so beautiful.'_

Dino stared at the falling rain from his office, and let out another sigh. He must sound like a lovesick man from the way Romario was watching him with that weird look. The work piled up on his desk wasn't getting any smaller, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when he came back from Japan without resolving anything.

Sure, he had been there for her to cry on, but it didn't feel enough.

It wasn't enough. Not for him.

He closed his eyes, reliving the moment he spent with her on that balcony. The scent of the mild perfume she wore was like a calming balm on his heart, and he couldn't forget how beautiful she looked that night.

More than beautiful, she looked ethereal. He knew he was exaggerating but who cares.

" _Sometimes I wonder, if you have someone important too."_

He groaned as his dropped his head into the table with a dull thud. "Of course I do, you idiot."

Romario cleared his throat, and the Decimo couldn't bring himself to care about what he looked like. Not when he felt so damn miserable.

"Boss."

"…yeah?"

"Perhaps you should rest. You just came back from Japan, you need one."

He groaned again, and Romario could feel his lips tugging into a smile as he could guess that the younger man was pouting.

"What I need is Haru."

* * *

 **A/N:** there, done. I warned you, didn't I? Expect more hot stuff in later chapters *wink*wink


	5. Chapter 4: Mending Stitches

**Pegasus In A Field Of Spring**

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and the lovely characters. I only own Marco and Carlo.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Mending Stitches**

The sound of rain pelting against the windowsill woke her up from her sleep. Sitting up, Haru stretched out her arms until she felt her joints pop. Chocolate eyes scanned her spacious room and fell on her own reflection from the dresser mirror. Thin fingers ran through her dark brown locks, pushing her hair away from her forehead to reveal her slight frown. She sighed when she was reminded of her dream. More than a dream, it was a flashback of the time when she had ditched Tsuna and Kyoko's wedding. Then came the recollection of how she had cried herself to sleep weeks before the wedding. She looked down at her hands, and could see the lines on them. Her hands had long since then roughened up.

"Two years…"

She never failed to realize every single morning how only two years had passed since the wedding and yet she had changed so much.

" _I've changed, Dino-san."_

She grimaced as she was reminded of what transpired between her and Dino the night before. After all he had done for her, she felt bad about how distantly she treated him. The others back at Namimori had chosen their words carefully around her, and she didn't want him to feel like he had to as well. At the very least, she didn't want him to feel that he needed to walk on eggshells around her.

Apart from a few people back at Japan who still treated her no differently as who she had been, she only had Dino. Being on not-quite-good terms with the Vongolas, she didn't want to screw up a second time when it came to Dino.

Haru came to the Cavallones for a new start after all.

Her alarm went off, and it was another reminder of how she had been waking up way before her alarm for the past days. Might be the change in time-zone. Climbing out of bed, she shed off the Dinosaur-printed pajamas and pulled her towel with her as she prepped for an early morning shower. The shower was cold, and her eyes moved to the red heater button. She had considered using it a few times, but she really needed the cool water to wake her up.

A familiar reminder ringtone greeted her as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hands swiftly wrapping her towel around her damp body. Droplets of water from her hair fell onto the water-proof screen as she picked up the phone, turning off the reminder for her baggage delivery from the airport. Later in the morning the courier would be at the Cavallone's with her bag, and she couldn't help but finally feel grounded.

Relieved, she set out to start the day by having breakfast with the family and found out that she was the first to be at the dining room. The maids greeted her despite rushing to prepare the most important meal of the day for a group of important people, and Haru was reminded of her days doing exactly the same thing when they were all thrown ten years into the future.

"Can I help?" She asked a passing maid. At the surprised look on the older woman's face, she wondered if it was still a foreign concept of having a woman in a den full of men who wasn't part of housekeeping.

After a few seconds standing in front of Haru with her mouth hung open, she finally smiled widely. "Why, thank you! Then can you help with that tray of bread?"

The petite brunette nodded, and obediently helped around the kitchen. She felt comfortable there, and as she rolled up her sleeves to help portion out the soup, the sudden thought of Kyoko and her friends came to the forefront of her mind. She felt the corners of her lips lift into a smile, and thought that being in the kitchen always brought back nice memories.

She was finishing helping with the table arrangements when the first of Dino's men started to fill up the dining area. Romario blinked a few times as he saw her standing a little ways off the side, and proceeded to pull out a chair for her to sit next to him. Carlo plopped in front of her, his hand still trying to tame his bed hair. He yawned as he nodded at her. "Morning."

Haru nodded back, and turned to look at Dino as he joined them on the table. Everyone started on their breakfast, and she silently sipped on her tea. It was oddly quiet. But then again, she hadn't really joined them for breakfast. She had eaten breakfast in her room since the first day she arrived, trying to think of a way to best utilize her time spent there. Only that morning did she decide to start warming up to the family as best as she could.

Mornings at the Vongola used to be very lively, and she knew the Cavallones were no different, but it seemed that with her there, they were holding back. Everyone was trying to eat breakfast as quietly as possible. Apparently someone had told them to behave reservedly, but it wasn't Dino. If anything, the confusion on his face told her that he had no idea why his men were strangely quiet.

"Are you guys sick or something?"

The startled chokes followed by the nervous glances in her direction were enough to mean that they actually _were_ trying to be awkwardly polite. She noticed Romario continue eating silently, and as she glanced at the older man, she kind of knew who it was that told them to behave.

"No one's sick, boss. I just told them yesterday that they have to start minding their table manners if we happen to have a new person joining us on the table."

Said boss was trying to reach the butter when his tea spoon got caught on his cuff, sending it toppling off the table with a small clang. He grinned when Romario turned a raised brow at him. "Sorry."

Haru discreetly cleared her throat at his clumsiness, and thought that he was quite cute when it came to dealing with Romario. Not that she would ever tell him.

The dropped teaspoon somehow triggered another family member to spill soup into his coffee, and another to accidentally knock over the salt and pepper when he was reaching for the bread. From next to her, she could hear Romario sigh. The dining room became strangely silent and awkward, even Dino was biting down on his bottom lip.

Haru inwardly sighed. If she were to work with these men, she would have to try to blend in. Eyes turned to her as she disappeared into the kitchen only to return with a washcloth, her black tie tucked into her breast pocket and her white sleeves rolled up. A maid was standing a few steps behind her, holding onto Haru's black suit.

She silently wiped off the splashes of soup and spilt condiments. Dino thanked her as she picked up his spoon for him, and she nodded back. Standing next to him, she held the washcloth in her hands, and tried for a small smile.

"I came here as an ally, not as a guest. I'm not someone special, I'm just another coworker. It's okay to act like how you usually do. So it's okay. It's okay, Romario-san."

Romario seemed to be taken aback at her words, it was still weird not hearing her referring herself as Haru anymore. Realizing that it had been a couple of years since they last saw her, there were bound to be a few changes here and there, like the empty business-like smile she sported right then. He smiled back at her. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm sorry if that offended you, Haru-kun."

She shook her head, and proceeded to return the cloth. Just before she disappeared into the kitchen though, she stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"And don't worry. I don't bite."

The collective sighs of relief and chuckles eased the situation as she left the dining area.

* * *

As stated in the dossier Tsuna had left her with, one of her job scopes entailed her to upgrade the Cavallones server system. She had gone through the security checks and server security, and had established with both Dino and his executives that the family would be looking at possible new instalments. Dino had, in fact, put aside funding for a new server room, and Haru couldn't help but be impressed.

Of course, system upgrades came with studying logbooks, and being a family as old as the Vongolas, the Cavallone Family was bound to have shelves upon shelves of them. Even ledgers from almost a century back were stored in the library. All handwritten.

Romario and Dino helped collect the logbooks from the nineties, and Haru ended up looking at two tall piles of them. The piles were as tall as her. Opening up a logbook, she read the exact dates and turned to look at both of them. "When was the last time these were recorded in the data archive?" Dino checked the calendar on his phone. "Almost half a year ago."

The grimace on her was apparent, and she cocked a head. "How about security?"

"The last we checked had been around three months ago."

For the first time in how many years he had known Haru, he heard her click her tongue. The frown on her face was apparent that she had a few things to say to them. Giving up, Dino finally threw up his hands. "I know, I know. Come on, lemme have it."

She sighed and took a seat, and picked up the first book. Instead of giving him a lecture, she silently began poring through the thick article. Without looking up, she spoke up from her seat. "Dino-san, I know that Tsuna-san sent me here for exactly these reasons, but it wouldn't hurt to be careful." She looked up then, chocolate pools looking up into his lighter ones. "I just don't want anything bad happen to you, Dino-san. Romario-san too."

At that, Dino walked up to her and pat her head. She frowned some more, but didn't budge. "I know, and that's why I'm here to listen to what one of Vongola's best has to offer me."

"I'm not _that_ good."

"Hey," he pulled the book from her hands, ignoring her protest. "You're _very_ talented, Haru. I trust you, alright?" She sighed again, and Dino wondered how many times she had done that. "Okay."

She held out her hands for the book, and he gave it back. "I'll be going now, okay. If you need any help just come meet me at my office."

Haru nodded, already preoccupied by the figures in the book. Dino walked out of the library, his retainer in tow. Just as he was about to turn into a corner that led to the staircase, he heard Haru calling out to him. He turned around, a brow raised as he saw her stick her head out from behind the door.

"Thank you."

It took him a few seconds, before he finally smiled at her. "You're welcome, Haru."

Haru leaned against the door as it closed behind her, and looked up to the piles of books on the large library desk. She shrugged off her suit, and hung it on the coat hanger near the entrance. Cracking her knuckles, she sat on the cushioned clawed chair. "Alright. Here we go _desu_."

Minutes turned to hours, and pages became several books. It was almost midnight when Haru turned over the last pages of her fifth logbook and realized that her eyes were beginning to get tired from all the reading. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and yawned as she closed off the book. Stretching out the kinks in her joints, Haru blinked as she looked out the window and noticed it was already dark. Startled, she shot up from her seat, and that was when she noticed that the lights were turned on and the time on the big clock. She had been too immersed in trying to tally the numbers and dates with the record she printed from the server computers and didn't realize how long she had been cooped up in the library.

Flopping onto the cushioned chair, Haru ran a hand through her hair. Her hair bun had loosened up a lot over the long hours. When she looked up to her table, she spotted the tray with the plate of sandwiches covered in cling wrap and a teacup. The tea in the round teapot was most probably cold by then, but her stomach growled at the sight of food.

She stalked to the front of the desk where the tray was hidden from where she had been piling the logbooks, and poured herself some cold tea.

"Itadakimasu," she silently prayed as she bit into the sandwich. It took her less than two minutes to finish gobbling up the food, and that was when a maid came in. She cleaned her mouth with a napkin and slightly bowed at the old woman. "Hello. Thank you for the food."

The maid pat her hands gently, and smiled at her as she straightened up. "You're welcome, dear. Go and get some rest now, alright?"

She waited until the woman walk out the library with the emptied tray of food before she finally decided she should wrap things up. Gathering a few logbooks and the reference books she decided to read up on the next morning, Haru finally exited the room.

A few steps down the corridor to her room, she spotted the tenth don of the Cavallones on all fours looking for something.

"Dino…san?"

Said name looked up and smiled nervously as he realized Haru was watching him. "Oh hey. Have you seen Enzo Junior? He escaped again. I couldn't find him in my office." Putting the books down, Haru wordlessly helped him search the floor for one pet turtle. "Sorry for involving you in this Haru."

She had her sleeves rolled up and was looking into an air vent. "It's okay." It took her less than five minutes when she realized something wriggling under the door gap to the utility room. She smiled a little when she spotted the small stubbly legs wriggling, trying to free itself from the clutches of the gap. "Dino-san, I found Enzo-kun."

Not waiting for the pet's owner, she gently eased the bulky shell from under the door. As expected, the turtle quickly hid when met with an unfamiliar face. Haru handed the traumatized animal to Dino, who apologized profusely to the being hiding within the confines of his shell. It was as if Enzo knew who Dino was to him, the turtle finally relaxed and showed itself to the worried blonde. The moment was nothing short of cute, and gently she ran her fingers over the rough shell.

"I guess he missed you, Dino-san."

The man laughed. "You think so?" she nodded, and turned to gather the books in her arms.

"Oh wait, here hold Enzo for me." Without waiting for her reply, Haru watched dumbly as he lifted the books from her arms using only his one arm and placed his pet into her empty hands. "But I-"

He was already walking towards the third floor. "Come on, it's the least I can do."

She jogged a bit to catch up to his long strides, and finally caught up to him. She noticed him wearing a plain cotton T-shirt and pajama pants, and admitted that she might have been too preoccupied with the logbooks. It was almost midnight, which was no wonder she was starting to feel the ache in her shoulders and bum.

They arrived in front of her room, and she held the door open for him as he placed the books on her empty dresser table. He held out his hand to her, and for a while she forgot she was holding the turtle in her hands. "Oh, here."

Even when she had returned his pet, Dino stood at his spot in the middle of her room. He was watching her silently as she pulled out her hair pin and unraveled her necktie. She turned to him, and tilted her head as she watched him. He looked like he was about to say something to her.

"Is there something wrong, Dino-san?"

He stuffed a hand into his pocket, "Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

Her lips were in a straight line, trying to figure out what to say to that. He continued before she could say anything. "You're still in your work clothes, Haru. Or did you not notice that?" She seemed to belatedly realize that. "Un… sorry. It's a force of habit." Gently, he took her hand into his, his thumb caressing the back of it. "I know. Just don't wear yourself out. Take a few moments for yourself to rest."

She could feel her lips turn up a little. Not quite a smile, but it was still something. "Okay."

They stayed like that for a few more moments, before Dino took a deep breath and let her hand go. He wished her good night as he walked out her room, and she watched his retreating form silently. Seeing his wide back, she was reminded yet again how kind and gentle he always was.

" _I've changed, Dino-san."_

She frowned when she was reminded of how she said those words to him. If she were to reflect on it, her words were bitingly cold for someone who had gone out of his way to help her time and time again. She wanted to stop him so she could apologize, but the words didn't come out. Her pride held her back, and she hated herself for it.

So she waited, until he left the room. Tiredly, she sat on her bed and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Dino-san."

* * *

 _Water dripped from the pipes above._

 _drip, drip, drip._

 _The sound was continual. It fell in sync with her beating heart. It was the only sound, other than her breathing._

 _The eerie atmosphere could have sent shivers down her spine, had her body not been numbed by the biting cold._

 _Strung up like an animal and hanging from the wall by her wrists, her weapons and black slacks were stripped from her, leaving her in only her underwear and white shirt –now being anything other than white- that did little to cover her lower half. The three buttons that the burly men had all but tore off her shirt to 'find for tapping devices' left her chest bare, the stark ivory of her exposed neck and the top swells of her modest breasts painted an obscene red from what looked like repeated lashings, shallow ones just enough to agonize her but keep her alive, but lashings all the same. The scent and sight of her own blood was almost too much for her to bear. Almost, because she had been in much worse conditions._

 _The chilly wind that seeped through the small windows of the basement for ventilation purposes licked the expanse of her skin, and the biting cold made her hiss out a curse._

" _Damn it."_

 _Her legs were getting tired, her wrists hurt from the metal cuffs and her head pounded. Haru swallowed a lump in her throat, taking mind not to bite down onto the minute glass ampoule she kept safe under her tongue and swept her eyes over the cell she was held captive._

 _The cell—it was the only cell, taking up the entire basement; probably the basement of some shady abandoned factory near by the sea since she could taste the salt in the stale air. There were no bars, so it didn't even deserve the rights to be called a cell, now, did it? The bastards who kidnapped her were arrogant and absolutely loved to play with the prisoner's ego; chaining her, with no bars to secure the imprisonment. They must think that the prisoner must hate it— well, she hated it alright._

 _The fact that she could neither hear nor see Kyoko near her made her sick to the stomach. The chains above her rustled as she tried to break free of the flame-depleting metal chains. If she wasn't so frustrated at not being able to know where they stowed the Decimo's wife, Haru would have scoffed at the demeaning chains. They should have known that she wasn't like Kyoko and the other Vongolas. Her Sun Flames were not strong enough for her to use, she barely used hers and relied on brute strength in situations like these. Whatever technology that made the flame-draining chains so convenient to keep flame users like the Vongola Guardians subdued, lacked in tensile strength. She could break them if she concentrated what little strength she had left from being deprived of water and food for almost a day._

 _Well, to be precise, twenty three hours and fifteen minutes. She needed to keep count, since the plan in her head would rely heavily on timing._

 _Putting timing aside, she couldn't just snap the chains from the walls. Not yet. Apart from dehydration, she had lost some undetermined amount of blood from the multiple cuts on her left wrist._

 _She huffed. The cowards sure were cunning, taking the pains of draining her of energy. Haru finally stopped moving to reserve her energy, and for the piece of her mind. Fretting wasn't going to help her._

 _Keeping calm and then lash out when the enemies least expected it, now that would do the job._

 _The door to the underground basement opened with an ominous creak, and Haru looked up slowly._

 _Heavy footsteps were heard from the threshold, the dull thuds of the boots of whoever had kicked her in the gut earlier when Haru had shielded Kyoko, were closing the distance between the opened door and the form hidden in the farthest corner of the cell. She found it funny how her sense of hearing wasn't as heightened moments before they got kidnapped. If she had picked up on the unusual silence as they had walked through that alley earlier, she could have at least gotten Kyoko to safety first. But she hadn't noticed until it was too late._

 _Her eyes burned as the man flicked a light in the center of the cell, and she scowled as the man grinned, revealing a row of surprisingly clean and straight teeth._

" _Hello there, Vongola's puttana."_

 _If her hands were free she would have grabbed him by the shoulders and head butt him in between his eyes and show him who the actual bitch was. She settled for the downturn of her lips and a glare._

 _Oh how Haru hated it—how she hated everything._

* * *

Brown eyes snapped open. The room was filled with the sound of her trying to catch her breath as her chest heaved, the panic slowly subsiding when she noticed she was safe. She was safe now, safe with the Cavallones. She sat up, and grimaced at the sweat matting her hair to the back of her neck and her temples. Stepping out from the covers, a chill ran down her back when she felt the sweat rolling down her chest. She couldn't sleep anymore.

Sighing, she took off her pajama top and used a towel to dry the sheen of sweat gathering between her breasts. She stilled when she looked down into her bare chest, only to find none of the red lashings she had dreamt about. If she hadn't used her Sun Flames, she was sure there would have been scars from when she was injured.

Throwing on a black pullover, she mused about the recent throwbacks that visited her during her sleep. She had always dreamed about what had happened months after the wedding, but for other memories coming to find their way back into her sleep was another thing.

She reached for her gun to hide it in her clothes out of habit, but decided against it in the end.

She was safe. For now.

Clad in her indoor slippers, Haru went to the kitchen for a glass of water to calm her nerves. She tightened the fleece blanket she brought from japan around her narrow shoulders as she walked back to her room. Just as she passed the first floor corridor, she bumped into Carlo who had just came back from his work. He yawned, looking disheveled in his loosened tie and shaggy hair. His eyes were red from fatigue, but he still nodded at her. "Hey there. Wat'cha doing this early?"

"I couldn't sleep. I still can't get used to the time difference." She lied. But he was too tired to notice her shifty eyes. "Okay. Do me a favor though, can you check up on boss for me? It's supposed to be my turn to check if he needs anything, but as you can see, I'm better off dead than anything."

"Dino-san's still in his office?" She thought he had already retired for the day, since the last she saw him he was wearing pajamas.

Carlo yawned again. "Yeah. He just told me he still had some stuff to work out before tomorrow."

"Oh… okay. Bye then."

Haru made her way to his office on the second floor, and wasn't surprised to see the young Mafia Don fall asleep on the piles of paperwork on his desk. He was still in his T-shirt, and from the opened window, she guessed that he must have left it open to prevent himself from falling asleep.

It didn't seem to work though. And he was dressed quite lightly.

Romario had left a sticky note on the corner of the table to wake the boss up and haul him into his bedroom if he ever fell asleep. There was another note telling that the don's right-hand man was out in town for business. Haru watched silently as Dino stirred a little bit in his sleep, some papers underneath him rustling as he moved. Seeing him like that, she couldn't find it in herself to wake him up.

She decided to drape her blanket over his shoulders, and wake him up in an hour if he still remain dead to the world. Her fingers brushed off the strands of hair covering his eyes, and gently caressed his exposed cheek with the back of her fingers. His arms were folded to pillow his head, and fleetingly she thought how he would wake up with numbed arms.

After she closed the windows and drew the drapes, Haru took her seat on the lazy cushion by the bookshelves. Folding her legs under her, she watched over the rise and fall of his hunched figure and the disheveled mop of blonde hair. Haru's eyes trailed over the tattoo peeking from under his short sleeve as it joined the other markings on his arm. She never told him, but she always wondered if his tattoos had hurt when he first got them.

* * *

He woke up to a warm blanket that smelled like lavender. Something about the scent was familiar to him. The next thing he woke up to was the kink in his neck, and as he straightened up to stretch his arms, he noticed her.

"Haru?"

She was sitting silently on the lazy chair, her legs folded comfortably under her as she read one of his books from the bookshelf. Her chocolate eyes looked up from the fable book she was reading, and it was as if she hadn't changed from the old Haru when she spoke up with that small smile on her lips. "Did you sleep well?"

For a moment he was at a loss for words. She looked small in her Hello Kitty pajama pants and the black pullover. She looked as if she had always been the same person even after two years. It was as if those two years hadn't happened. He was still looking at her when she called out to him again. "Dino-san?"

"Oh. Yeah, thanks for the blanket."

He pulled the blanket off his shoulders and folded it neatly before he returned it to her. "Where's Romario?"

"He went out for some business."

"I see."

She was still standing across his table, and he looked up to see her watching him. As if she had something to say. "I thought you were asleep, Haru. What happened?"

Haru cleared her throat. "I couldn't sleep. I keep dreaming about the past whenever I do. To be honest it scares me every time I dream about it." His eyes flickered to her left wrist as she pulled her sleeve over the scar. "And… and I wanted to apologize for what I said last night."

He stood up from his seat, and led her to the chairs by the window. She let him hold her hands in his warm ones. "What about last night?"

She saw the dark circles developing under his eyes, his tired eyes and the way his hair stuck out in different directions. He looked tired, but there he was listening to her. "What I said about me changing… it wasn't supposed to sound like that. Like I'm pushing you away or anything. It's just that… I've been putting up that guard back in Namimori and I didn't want to bring the same gloomy me here."

He smiled a little. "It's okay."

She frowned. "You're too kind, Dino-san. That's the problem. For all I know I might hurt you with the me right now."

"You won't."

For a few moments, she kept silent. When she spoke, he nearly missed her words since she had almost whispered them. "You had never seen how I was when I lived there. I've hurt those around me. You don't understand how my past changed me." His eyes glanced again at the scar peeking out from the cuff. "Then make me understand."

She seemed to consider telling him about her past, and decided that he deserved to know. "You know, when Tsuna-san first asked me about this job, I felt betrayed. I had changed too much over the years and I hadn't been on good terms with most of the family members, but I still wanted to stay. Because if it wasn't for the family, I have nowhere to go."

The house where she grew up and lived in with her father was destroyed by a rival Mafioso, and because of his injuries from that time when he was captured and tortured, her father couldn't even walk, let alone speak. Tsuna took the both of them in, and she hadn't known what to do if she was asked to leave the family. Ever since she trained under Reborn, Vongola had been her life. It was who she was. The thing she feared the most was to leave the family.

"I was so angry I even picked a fight with Gokudera-san." She paused for a while before she continued, "I lost, of course. But because of that everything became much worse. I mean, things were bad before Juudaime broke the news to me anyway."

He felt her slight tug, and he let go of her hands. "Tsuna told me you asked to be transferred here."

She nodded, "As I told you just now, I was angry the first few days. Because it felt like I wasn't needed anymore in the family. No one in the family has ever been transferred. It was either temporary attachment or missions. Transfer to the Vongolas meant getting sent away to other families that need extra men. It meant a permanent move."

Dino reached for her hands again, but stopped when she pulled back a little. "Hey now-"

"It felt that way to me, at least. My friends were starting to be too careful around me. Juudaime was going to send someone else after my fight with Gokudera-san, but by that time everyone knew about me being the first choice for the transfer. When they couldn't even look at me in the eyes when we greet each other, I thought to myself that it was time already. It was already time for me to let go of the family. So I went to meet Juudaime and told him to go through with it."

She looked up at his face, a bitter upturn of her lips directed to him. "Knowing that I would be transferred here offered reassurance."

Dino cleared his throat. "Is that a compliment?"

She nodded. "After thinking about it, I was actually relieved to be transferred here. I mainly agreed to this transfer because of you, Dino-san. I never told you before but being with this family makes me feel calm. Ever since I got to know you those years back, I realized that I can breathe freely around you. I didn't have to pretend I was sad, I didn't have to put up a mask just so that Kyoko-chan wouldn't feel guilty."

She moved to Sicily to free herself from the stiffness back in Namimori.

Haru let out a little snort as she leaned into the chair, her eyes looking at the intertwined fingers on her lap.

In the end, all she wanted to do was be useful to Tsuna. She had always tried to find ways to fit in with the other guardians. Even if they sometimes differ in opinions, the fact that they were all from the same school apart from Chrome and Lambo, made it easier for them to reconcile. Whenever they were all together, she always felt left out for some reason. Because unlike the others, they were _something_ to the family. Even if Hibari denied being one of them, he was still the Cloud Guardian. She had tried to hide her envy under her smiles and her laughter, but at times it became too much just watching them from afar. Each of them had gone through so much together as Guardians and the way they could relate themselves with each other was something she didn't have. She trusted them, they trusted her as well. But she always seemed to lack that same understanding shared between each of the Guardians.

"I tried so hard, you know. I trained and trained. I studied so much I even skipped grades." She chuckled a little. "I even spent two weeks with the Varia. It had been so hard trying to not get myself killed it wasn't even funny."

"I know." She looked up at him again, her lips in a straight line. Her face was unreadable as she studied him. He said it again, "I know how hard you worked."

Dino remembered the days when he would catch her just stand alone at parties, watching her friends joke around. He had seen that forlorn look in her eyes one too many times before she would put up that cheerful mask on her again.

Haru said nothing for a while before her eyes dropped to her lap again. "To be honest, I'm still bitter about Kyoko-chan. Even if she wasn't a Guardian, she was still important to the family. She doesn't have to even try as hard as I do and she'll still be a part of Vongola. And where does that leave me? I'm sure I couldn't even dream to be a part of the family if I hadn't trained."

She frowned a little, before she shook her head a little. "Whenever I think about this I get so angry and disgusted at myself. It's not anybody's fault I'm like this, really. I just… wanted to be part of them. But it seems that even among the Vongola, I can never really find a reprieve."

It was until she came to know Dino that she could finally let herself out.

"I guess that was why I kept coming back to you, Dino-san." Her hands reached his, and gently she unfurled his fingers so she could play with them. Tracing gently, she didn't notice the small smile on her lips. "There's just something about you that puts me at ease. I don't have to feel like I have to put on a brave face, because you would understand me. You've become a really important person to me."

He smiled a little, and if it wasn't because of the seriousness of the situation, he would have leaned forward a little and kissed her forehead. Instead he closed his fingers over her small ones. The scar on her left wrist peeked out then, and he gently used his other hand to trace the mark. He didn't notice how Haru shivered at his touch.

"About those dreams… does it have anything to do with this scar?"

She frowned a little. "I hate this scar. It reminds me of the first time I had to kill someone." Pausing for a few seconds, she looked up at him to gauge his reaction. He didn't flinch, he didn't give any indication that he was disgusted. "I… I don't know how you would take my story. I've hurt a lot of people."

"Hey, listen here." He used his fingers to tilt her head upwards so she could look at him. "I'm here now. I might not be of much help, but I can at least hear you out."

She seemed unsure for a while, before he spoke up again. "Haru, if the only way I can help you is to understand, then help me do so."

Haru thought about it, and for a while Dino thought she wouldn't say anything, until she cleared her throat. "My father… he's a known Professor at Tokyo University… he was known for his work in the Algorithm field."

Dino nodded, remembering seeing her father once when he went to Tsuna's wedding. The man, despite his social standing, was a very humble person. He was a man who loved his daughter; that much he learned from his conversation with Professor Miura. He watched her silently as she worried her bottom lip before continuing.

"Father was a kind man, and he liked to help people. You know, when Tsuna started to build the underground headquarters, my father helped him a lot with security advice, about programming and such. Eventually he became part of us, and because he was one of the peers who helped Tsuna-san establish the Family, he knew a lot of secrets."

"I take it that other Families didn't take well to that."

She chuckled, hollow, without mirth. "Mhm… on my first year of High School some rival Family burnt down our house. Then they tried to kidnap me to bait my father to change sides. He was considered a valuable asset."

Dino knew about that from Tsuna, and knew how the Vongola Decimo took them both in. He guessed that was the moment Haru swore her life to the Vongolas. She was already training under Reborn by that time.

"For a while, no one looked for him again. Well, that was until a few months after the wedding. They took me and Kyoko-san… and that was when I first killed a person." She looked up at him then, and he knew her enough to know how it had been hard for her to do that. "I can still feel his neck snap, right here." She showed her forearm, where she felt the man's neck pop.

For Dino, his first kill was when he was thirteen, around Lambo's age. He of all people knew how it had felt. Up till then, his first victim left the deepest dent in him. It was the same for everyone. "It never gets easy, huh. The first one always bites us back in the ass, I can give you that."

Haru nodded. "I killed him, and two others. Including the man who beat me and Kyoko-san. They were the ones who gave me this scar." His fingers ran over the line across her left wrist, "Does it still hurt?" She shrugged a little. "It still tingles from time to time. But it doesn't hurt anymore."

"You were tortured, was that what changed you?"

She shook her head. "Being tortured wasn't the thing that really changed me. It made me stronger, yes, but rather than that, what happened to Kyoko and what I put my father through after that was what changed me."

"After knowing what happened to my father, killing was the only thought I had in me." She realized belatedly that her hands were in his, so pulled them back. "My hands are dirty, Dino-san."

He figured that was the reason she wore those gloves. "Haru, as part of this world we can't completely wash the blood off our hands. If you're saying your hands are dirty, then my hands are a thousand times filthier." He snorted, and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "At times I, too, hate this rotten blood running through me. I always find myself wondering why I was born to this bloodline."

"You couldn't do anything about that, Dino-san. You didn't have a choice. I was given a choice, and I chose this path. That's what makes me hate myself more."

"Haru…"

"I chose to kill, Dino-san."

* * *

 **Itadakimasu = a prayer Japanese people use to say before eating.**

 **Puttana = whore**

 **A/N: Heya, I had nothing better to do since I'm stuck on what to write for my thesis. There are a few things I need to clarify here. Firstly, I haven't read the manga, so everything that I write here is based on what I've watched and learned from the anime. To get a better grasp of their characters, I might have read a teensy bit of the manga. But for most of the part, I'm relying on the anime only. Secondly, since I haven't logged into fanfic for quite a while, I might miss out on some new rules. I learned that some stories were pulled down for being too explicit. I need to know how explicit is well… explicit. So I hope someone can enlighten me on this matter, cuz I don't want my story to be taken down for something that could have been prevented. Lastly, I just realized that Dino is actually my favorite character, and I have no idea why.**

 **Anyway! I see that for the Adult Version I just posted, most readers jumped to the fourth chapter. Oh, how naughty you are ;D**


	6. Chapter 5: Bloodline

**Pegasus In A Field Of Spring**

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and the lovely characters. I only own Marco and Carlo.

A/N: Yes, another chapter right off the bat. Took me quite a while to piece the scenes together, I hope you'll like this one. ^^

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Bloodline**

"I chose to kill, Dino-san."

* * *

(2 years earlier)

The sound of rats hissing and fighting over the moldy bread by her feet woke her up from her restless sleep. She winced as she remembered yet again where she was, and reprimanded herself for passing out for the umpteenth time. The small glass vial that she kept under her tongue was still there, and she reminded herself of the plan she had cooked up the moment things turned south.

The brunette was sitting down, legs spread out in front of her and arms chained above with the same Flame-resistant chains. Her head was resting against the cool, jagged surface of the dungeon's wall, the rough stone floor was cold and bit into the underside of her exposed thighs, marring the milky expanse of skin with angry scrapes. The chains rustled as she slowly brought up a knee, then her other knee. She knew she hadn't been out for long, when she ran the tip of her tongue over her lip and tasted iron.

Blood ran down the tip of her nose like thick liquid ruby of dark crimson, descending toward her mouth and painting her pale lips a lovely shade of desirable red. Lovely and desirable if she wasn't in such a predicament.

The metallic smell of the tainting substance that matted her hair against the sides of her neck and forehead was overwhelming, the hanging chains from the low ceiling a telltale of what the otherwise vacant chamber was used for.

In here, people were tortured.

In here, she'd been locked and beaten by that man who called her _puttana_. They could beat her all they want, she wouldn't tell them anything about the family. One thing she brought out from the beating was his name. Nero. She almost laughed at his name. Quite fitting for someone with a horrible attitude.

She'd stayed quiet, listening to the shallow breathing of Kyoko chained up next to her. "Kyoko-chan?" Haru tried calling out, almost not recognizing her own scratchy voice from being kept underground for long hours without water to drink.

The woman didn't answer her, the shallow breathing being the only indication that the Decimo's wife was still alive. The skin around Haru's left eye was swollen, forcing it shut. The bruise bled a deep indigo, a marvelous contrast with the natural tints of her flesh.

Ivory white against streaks of dried red and blotches of violet blue.

The combination was not at all bad now that she thought about it.

It was a sight that was supposed to make the kidnappers smile with superiority and power, savages that they were. They believed that she was weak, that she was stupid, that they had the Vongolas right where it hurt them the most; that they owned victory.

If her face hadn't felt like breaking every time she moved a muscle, Haru would have scoffed. How foolish can they get?

Very much so, apparently.

She craned her neck to look at the strands of Kyoko's long hair spilling over the woman's shoulders, and she reveled in the fact that at least the woman was not harmed. Haru had made sure that she took all the blows. When they had went out twenty four hours ago for what supposed to be a normal shopping spree around Florence, she had promised that she was enough to protect Kyoko, and even if the Sun Flame user wasn't the Decimo's wife, Haru would have never let anyone lay a finger on the gentle woman.

Especially since Kyoko was seven weeks pregnant.

Haru let them turn to her instead. She was _trained_ by reborn for the battering and blows to her face. She had gone through much worse pain when she was thrown off some cliff in China. To her, the bruising was nothing but a slight throbbing of pain at the back of her cranium. She had endured far worse in the last years. This was nothing.

Nil.

Not even the lacerations on her left wrists –multiple lacerations cut into that wrist over and over again- could compare.

Her dirtied shirt stuck to her front and back with blood and sweat from a day ago. One day ago, the both of them were captured when they were walking out of a quaint café in the back alleys of an establishment. Her head rose as she heard Kyoko groan a little from the kink in her neck, unbalanced bangs of dark brown adorning her face and moving with her as Haru tilted her head to the side and sighed quietly in contemplation. "Kyoko-san? You awake?"

She saw the woman nod. "Just wait a little more, okay? I'm gonna get you out of here."

A little more time to fool the enemy into believing they were harmless and weak. She only needed a few more hours to do that, then she would strike them. Kyoko took a deep breath, and shakily let it out before answering. "O-Okay." Haru knew how frightening everything was for Kyoko. It wasn't the first time she was kidnapped, but it still frightened the Decimo's wife. She had the right to be after all, they could never know what would happen. For all they knew, the men would be putting a bullet through her head for no apparent reason. "I will get you out of here, Kyoko-san," she said, and her voice, soft, gentle, and hushed echoed like a crib-song. "I promise you that."

The door opened without warning, and Haru looked up slowly. Heavy footsteps were heard from the threshold, the long shadow cast by the light outside flickering as it began to move, closing the distance between it and the form hidden in the farthest corner of the small dungeon. "Why, hello there," the male voice coming from the man in front of her greeted, its cheerful tone making her stomach feel unsettled. "Are you still not willing to tell me where Professor Miura is? Even after I beat you up good, you still insist on keeping your mouth shut, huh."

No answer.

The man was not bothered by her silence. "Ah, well, it can only be expected," he scoffed with clear amusement. "You are his daughter, aren't you?" he continued, kicking her on the side of her body. Haru hissed at the impact. "Oh, do forgive me! Did I hurt you?" he inquired, grabbing a fistful of her hair roughly. Her lips remained tightly shut.

Nero's smile that had resembled a crescent moon due to his white denture swiftly vanished. "You seem to have a very stubborn spirit, _puttana_." Another tug of her hair that made her scalp lit on fire. He let her go and walked over to another end of the dungeon, and tugged onto a pulley. Metal clinked as her chains were tugged upwards, forcing her to stand on her feet. He kept wounding the chains until she her soles were flat on the cold floor. He then did the same to Kyoko, before he opened the door to let another man with red hair in. Nero said something to the newcomer, before he swiveled around to face Haru.

"I think I will be able to take care of that. You see," he grinned, and put a doting hand on the red-haired man. "that's what I do best." One of his hands reached for the cuts on her left wrist, and injected some of his Storm Flames to worsen the wound. Blood immediately beaded the harmed area. Haru bit her cheek. Noticing this, the man chuckled. "Breaking people, those are my specialties," he informed her proudly.

Her jagged bangs obscured her eyes as her lips turned down with disgust. "I'm not easily broken," she finally said.

Dark eyes glinted with interest in the poor light. "Is that so?" he drawled like an adult would do to a child. He was the one in control and he knew it. It was a game he enjoyed playing, and one he enjoyed to win. The rotten smell of his body odor almost made her gag. He smirked and motioned for the red-head to stand next to him. "Wow," he mocked. "And coming directly from a Vongola, no less. I have to admit, I'm impressed. The world believes your Family is mighty and powerful. Yet, here you are, wasting away in this dungeon. How so?" he snorted. "You are pathetic."

At that, Haru spat on his face. Nero's smile fell, unhappy. Without a word, he walked to the door, leaving the women alone with the newcomer.

Just before he left, he managed a smirk. "Knock yourself out, Trat."

* * *

Kyoko could feel her body tremble at the sight. From Haru's closed eyes and the frown on her forehead, it was clear the brunette loathed it.

"Stay… Stay away from Haru!"

The man called Trat clicked his tongue at Decimo's wife. "Now, now, lady. I'll get to you after I'm finished with this beauty here."

From behind Haru, the man's hands went under her shirt and ran his hands all over the expanse of her smooth skin. He chuckled when he heard Haru gasp as one hand ran down her thigh and tightly groped her buttocks. Red angry welts appeared as he gripped her hard and grind his hips against her behind. Throaty chuckles and moans escaped his lips as his arousal rubbed against her through the rough fabric of his jeans. "Never mind Vongola Decimo's bitch, you, on the other hand, is my kind of whore."

"Get off me, bastard." Brown eyes glared at him as he turned her face to him.

He whistled, impressed at her fire. "Man, you're feisty!" Grabbing her hair, he kept her head in place as he ran his tongue along her exposed neck, nipping at the skin on the hollow of her throat. "I love feisty bitches the most."

"Haru!"

Trat clicked his tongue, irritated at Kyoko's outburst. He stopped in his ministrations and stalked over to Kyoko. "Shut up! Bitch!" He slapped her hard across the face, enough to split Kyoko's bottom lip. Haru could feel her blood run cold as panic settled. No, not Kyoko.

The chains rustled as she thrashed around violently. "Don't! Don't touch her!"

The man ignored Haru's cries as he grabbed a fistful of Kyoko's hair, yanking her face to him. "You do not," he kneed Kyoko in the stomach, before he yanked on her hair again. "Do not disturb me, ya hear that!"

Kyoko's eyes lingered towards Haru, and she could feel tears prick her eyes when she saw the brunette shook her head. "D-Don't… don't hurt Haru…. Please."

He sighed, and finally let go of her in favor of Haru. Hugging her from behind, he took a deep whiff of her brown hair. "Of course I won't hurt her. Next thing you know," both of his hands were all over Haru's body again. From above her head, he smirked over at Kyoko. "you're gonna love it too."

That made Haru snap her head into his face, breaking his nose. He cried out in pain and loosened his hold on her to hold his nose. Using the chance, Haru whirled around, pulled herself up using the chains and clamped her thighs around his neck in a chokehold. She managed to use the momentum of his staggering body and the apparent surprise on his face to flip him over on his back. He hit the floor with a loud thud, but he was still conscious. If she was at her full strength then he would have passed out already.

"Fuck! What the hell, man! You broke my nose!" He yelled from the floor, a trembling hand holding his broken nose. Blood painted his face and for once Haru could feel herself smirking at the man. _'What an idiot.'_

The ruckus caught Nero's attention, and a few minutes after the fight, he burst through the door with an unimpressed face. "Really, T? I leave you here for a while and you get done in by a woman?"

"She broke my nose, asshole! She friggin' jumped and flipped me over!"

Nero cursed under his breath, the crescent-shaped smile no longer there on his face as he stalked over to Haru and made a new lashing across her left wrist. She hissed as the scabs gave way to new beads of blood, and covered the wound with his Storm Flames. She felt her toes curl at the sensation of having her open wounds made worse by the hot flames eating away at her flesh little by little. No matter how much Sun Flames Ryouhei would use on that wound, it was sure to leave a scar.

"Listen here, _puttana_!" He grabbed her chin and hissed into her face, face red from anger. "Unless you tell us where Professor Miura is, the next thing you'll wake up to is some civilian's head on a plate!"

She scoffed at the crazed look on his face. "You won't do that. My Family will be able to sniff you out if you ever hurt a civilian."

The man seemed to contemplate about that, before he finally huffed.

"You are one annoying woman."

* * *

It was time.

Haru gripped the metal chains on either hands, concentrating her strength on them and with a hard yank, they popped and broke before the pieces fell to the ground. She flexed her arms, completely numb and lost any sort of feeling to them from having them hang above her for so long. She clenched her fists and threw them as punches, hearing the satisfying pop of her elbows snapping back into place. Her arms were free, albeit the cuffs still dangling from her wrists. She would take care of that later.

She bit down onto the glass ampoule, the newest invention from the Family to boost one's Flame and provide strength enough to fight for a few hours depending on the user. Haru could feel herself quickly gaining strength and the burst of energy from the Sun Flame concentrate as it entered her system, warming her in a way not unlike hot tea on a winter night. The surge of strength caused a light headiness, and she nearly passed out from the intense spike in Flames had it not been for her resolve to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Kyoko nodded to her as she flattened her back to the corner behind the door of the cell, ready for anything. The Decimo's wife drew in a long breath, and hurriedly breathed out before she cried out.

"S-Somebody! Help!"

A few seconds later, heavy footsteps were heard. Judging from the way their captors looked down upon them, Haru could assume only one person came. She knew for a fact that the only ones that were there with them were only Nero, Trat, and the man who kept the keys to their cell and chains. If there had been others, then Nero wouldn't have had to beat her up every single time. That, and that Haru hadn't heard of any other voices other than those three when she and Kyoko were shoved into that car when they were first taken in. It had been irritating to be taken lightly, but at times like this she couldn't really complain. There were sounds of cursing and keys jingling before everything was eerily silent.

The door creaked open then, and Haru sprung swiftly into action. She wasted no time lunging over and wrapped her legs around the man and locked her ankles together, putting him in a secure stranglehold from behind, effectively muffling any possible verbal articulation. It was a good opportunity to test her newly regained strength. Even when stripped of her weapons, the woman was still well-equipped to handle threats barehanded. Reborn and Hibari made sure of that. She dragged the struggling individual near the far end of the cell and snapped his neck.

He was her first kill, she was trying not to show it but her hands trembled from the feeling of cracked bones when she snapped the man's neck.

Shaking her head, she quickly frisked the dead body for the set of keys she saw him using on her and Kyoko and found them in a side pocket. Hurriedly she unlocked her cuffs, then moved to free the Decimo's wife, her hands trembling still. They quickly made their way behind the door to prepare for others to come, and Haru turned to look at her friend when she felt the tug on her sleeve. "Yeah?"

For a moment Kyoko was at a loss for words when she was confronted with Haru's eyes. It might be the adrenaline and the fear of being caught again, but the woman looked as if she was possessed. She had seen how her hands trembled after she killed the man just then, and she knew that Haru had not wanted to do that. "I'm sorry you had to do that, Haru-chan."

Haru didn't answer to that, and turned her face towards the door when she heard faint voices. She popped the magazine from the gun she found on the body and saw only one bullet left. She almost laughed at that. If there were two of them then she would have to finish them fast herself. In any case, she wasn't going to let Kyoko fight. Not then, not ever. She didn't want her friend to dirty her hands.

Nero ran into the cell when he saw his lifeless comrade, foolishly leaving his back unguarded. "What the fuck-!"

He was hit on the back of his head with the butt of the gun, and as he whirled round on unsteady feet, he cursed out profanities as Haru stood in front of him, eyes empty. He blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of everything. For a small thing, the Japanese brunette was strong. He should have known that, else she wouldn't have been able to sock T in the nose earlier. He fell down on his butt when she approached him. The sound of her kicking his fallen gun away from his reach made him realize he was in deep shit.

He begged for her not to shoot him. "St-Stop! Please!" She cocked her head, considering him for a second, before she decided he was probably trying to get his ass out of danger by babbling nonsense. Turning off the safety, she cocked the gun and was about to shoot before he begged again. "I can get you outta here! I swear!"

She stopped, and thought about it. It was important to get Kyoko to safety as quick as possible, and the time taken for them to find their way out while trying to keep hidden from the enemy would be a deterrent. If they were shown the way then it would greatly benefit them.

When it seemed she was thinking about it, he prodded her again. "I'll lead you to the backdoor, and you'll be outta here in minutes! How 'bout that?"

She snorted. Yeah, right. She would be stupid to believe him. This was the man who had kidnapped them and beat her senseless before, why would he want to give them up? Haru could practically smell his untrustworthiness. "No thank you." When he tried to get up from his hunched position, she elbowed him in the chest. He keeled over, and she rendered him unconscious by kneeing him on the chest again, the same spot she hit him earlier. She could smell something rank coming from him and saw that he had wet himself, and seeing the tears from the corner of his closed eyes, Haru couldn't help but scoff.

"I thought you were much more than that."

Just as she was about to finish him off with the gun in her hands, Kyoko cried out to warm her.

It took only a second for Haru to realize that another man had burst into the cell and tackled her to the wall. The gun dropped from her hand, and pain seared through her body at the impact. She was sure a rib or two was cracked when she tried to breathe. "Bitch! What the fuck were you thinkin'?!" Haru dodged a punch, and whirled around to kick him. "Kyoko-san, get back!" She managed to land a hit, and quickly reached for the gun. Before she could reach it, the intruder punched her upside the head, breaking her jaw, before grabbing a handful of her hair, yanking her back towards him. He locked her in place from behind her, and laughed when she struggled.

Haru could feel her skin crawl when she noticed the intruder was the same man that had his hands all over her the night before. She felt his hot breath as he rubbed his nose against her neck, humming. "I like feisty girls like you, turns me on like nothing." He moaned in unadulterated pleasure as he ground his hips against her back, his obvious hardness that dug against the small of her back disgusting her.

The second his tongue darted out to lave hungrily at her neck, she exploded into action, smashing the back of her head into his, practically crushing his already broken nose and then went on to bite his hand. He cried out in disbelief as he felt sharp canines pierce his flesh, but didn't have time to swear when she stomped her heel hard on his toes and whirled in his loosened hold to slam him against the wall, her forearm pressed horizontally against his throat to hold him there. Her brown eyes glowed with primal instinct as their gazes met, and then before he could croak out anything, she stabbed him twice, right in the heart using the knife she had pulled out from his hip strap.

She stepped back a few, watching silently as his body slid down the wall, wide eyed. He was still choking in his own blood when Haru frisked him for any other weapons. She found a bunch of keys and noted a pair of car keys. Without preamble, she shoved the keys into her breast pocket and picked up the loaded gun from earlier, proceeding to shoot the unconscious man right between his eyes. Kyoko hurried to her, gently prodding at the tender flesh on her jaw. "Oh Haru… your jaw bone's broken. Stay still, I'll do what I can for now." Her jaw hurt badly, but Haru could not afford to make Kyoko waste her Sun Flames on herself. She shook her boss' wife away, and pulled her to the door, ignoring the protests.

Realizing that her cries fell on deaf ears, Kyoko decided to keep quiet and just let Haru lead. The woman was stubborn, but she knew how to survive better than herself. At times like this, she wished she possessed even half of Haru's strength and resolve.

Her body was supposed to feel sore, and her face was supposed to feel like it was breaking into pieces, but she could only feel some sort of numbness. She was sure it was due to the surge of energy from the Sun Flames she ingested, and it was also pure adrenaline and fear that fueled her limbs. Right then, all she could think was escaping as soon as possible and send an S.O.S signal from the nearest telephone booth.

They walked out of the cell deftly and prepared themselves for the way out to freedom. Haru's pupils were dilated—black overtaking the cinnamon brown of her irises as she moved within the shadows of the dark corridors. The goons probably used flashlights to navigate through the place. She was breathing through her nose since her mouth was clamped shut. From behind her, Kyoko's lips were parted but she tried as best as she could to keep her breathing down. It was sheer luck, the fact that they made it out their cell and reached quite a ways through the passageways without bumping into anyone.

She knew from past experiences that the absence of enemies at that place was not a trap whatsoever. They were just arrogant and foolish enough to not think that they were capable of escaping. For that, Haru thanked her and Kyoko's luck. She moved with all the agility her five years of training taught her. She felt some warmth and then there was light. She turned around and saw Kyoko light up some flames on her palm. "Let me at least do this, Haru-chan. Okay?" Haru contemplated, but Kyoko seemed to be determined to help, so she conceded.

A few minutes later they arrived at an intersection, and Haru came to a sudden stop from her noiseless run. She went rigid. Kyoko paused beside her to better observe what she was doing, mere moments later, Haru started to run towards a hallway. "Where are we going?" Haru put a finger to her lips to silence Kyoko before she looked on ahead. Their hurried footsteps echoed down the passageway, and finally arrived at an opened door. There was light outside the door, and they managed to come out into an open field facing the ocean.

The sunlight blinded them for a few seconds, before Haru realized they were in a parking lot. Behind them stood the abandoned factory they were help captive for a little more than two days, and surrounding the building was a dense forest. It was the perfect hideout for any organization.

* * *

"I was naïve though. Kyoko-chan lost her first baby because of that. They got to my father and did _something_ to him. Now he's in a wheelchair and he can't even say my name. It was all because I was careless." Her hands clenched and unclenched at the memories, and she let out a shaky breath to calm herself down. "Everything was practically my fault."

They were silent for a while. Dino would be lying to himself if he didn't find her story overwhelming. One thing he learned from her story was that Haru was one hell of a woman, and he wondered how someone with her background could have ever achieved what she had. Before she had learned about the mafia world, she was practically just an ordinary person with a bright future. She would have been happy living the life she had deserved. But that meant that he wouldn't have grown to know her.

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Haru."

She stood up from her seat, her eyes narrowed and for once since a while, he could see some emotions in those brown eyes of hers. She was angry, probably at him or herself. But the fire in those orbs were there. They weren't dead after all.

"They _shot_ Kyoko-san right _in front_ of me! They shot her because I _led_ her there! Hell, we wouldn't have been captured if I had the foresight in the first place, Dino-san! I couldn't protect her!" The anger turned to tears, and she could feel them clawing at her eyes. Just wanting to go out. "And those men, those… bastards they wanted to shoot her again because I _wouldn't_ tell them where Tsuna-san hid my father, and you know what I did? Without a second thought I sold out my own family! Now you tell me, Dino-san… How wasn't that my fault?"

Wordlessly, he stood up and walked to her side. The tears were falling freely now, and she was looking at the floor. Just looking at that fear in her eyes was enough for him to understand how much she was stuck in the past. He took her into his arms, not relishing his hold even when she told him to not touch her filthy self. "I'm not letting you go until you've calmed down."

So she stayed in his arms until she could feel herself breathe again.

Haru wondered how long had it been since she last told anyone about her inner thoughts. She wondered how long had it been since she last shed any real tears. "I was still worrying about Kyoko-san that I didn't know they got to my father until it was too late. I practically abandoned him, Dino-san. The others knew about how I sold him out, and ever since then no one looked at me the same way."

He led her to the lazy chair she'd been sitting on when he fell asleep, and as they settled down in it she curled into him. For a while they sat like that, until she told him the rest of her story.

After Kyoko was shot, she had snapped and fought against the men. She had managed to injure some, but by then her time limit was up and the next second she was keeling over the pain on the side of her body and her fractured jaw. The leader, a middle-aged man who went by the name Fango, had threatened to put the next bullet through Kyoko's head and Haru immediately used whatever strength she had left to write down her father's coordinates on a piece of paper.

"And the Vongolas? Did they come?"

She nodded. "They did, but by that time Kyoko-chan was already bleeding out. I had used up my flames and she was unconscious. I seriously thought she was going to die." She remembered waiting outside the operation theater with Kyoko's blood on her hands, and the silent treatment Tsuna gave to everyone. "I think Tsuna-san still hates me for that, even if he said no. I did betray the Family by telling the enemy about my father, so I guess I deserved the scorn."

"You were put in a precarious spot, Haru. I'm sure your father understood that. And Tsuna isn't that kind of person, you know that."

"When the Family got to father, when the doctor told me he was paralyzed from the waist down and that he would probably lose his speech ability, it felt like the world crashed down on me. I tried to convince myself I did it for the family, but seeing father in his wheelchair struggling so hard just to drink water by himself just… it made me hate myself even more."

The guilt she felt for Kyoko and for her father ate her inside until one day she proposed to the Family to let her go back in time to prevent the same tragedy from happening again. She had begged Irie to fix the time but he wouldn't let her do that. No one agreed to her. The reason was understandable, they didn't want to risk sending her back to the past and change time again after the last had been to stop Byakuran. "I never felt so alone at that time. I was so angry at the world, at everyone and mostly at myself, that I got myself into more work."

She had gone to missions alone, and sometimes even end up in hospitals when things turned south. It was as if she was looking for death itself. It went on for a while until Reborn stepped in and beat her to agree to stop the nonsense. But she didn't stop killing. If any, her jobs were mostly to kill off thieves, traitors and snitches. There was one time she killed the janitor who raped some kids in one of the orphanages managed by the family, and that time when she killed the snitch who sang to the cops about the brothel business an ally family were running. The recent ones were the new kids Tsuna took under the Vongola wing who turned out to be traitors. She remembered seeing the two boys, a little over seventeen, pissed their pants despite the defiant glares they gave her as she had put the gun in between their eyes. She recalled when she had asked if they had regretted betraying the family and them saying that they regretted nothing, before she ended them.

"They were just seventeen, Dino-san. I still feel bad about it."

She could feel him shift a little, before he spoke up. "I had to kill one of my uncles once. That feeling of killing off a traitor forever sticks with me."

"Thank you for understanding me."

"You're welcome."

She looked up into his face, traces of tears still there. But there was a softness to her eyes when her lips turned up a bit. He would like to think of that as a somewhat-smile.

She got careless in America, and got grazed by a bullet. She had been through worse than that, but somehow at that time all she could ever think of was to see someone who cared about her. Someone who she knew would smile for her even if she was hating herself. At that moment, the one she thought about was him.

"After a while, I found it hard to breathe around them. I couldn't see who really cared for me, all I saw was the looks they gave me. Gokudera-san, for one. He loathes me for selling my father off to the enemy." She chuckled a little. "Well, I expected that much from him."

She reached over for his hand. "When I finally had a chance to see you again, it felt as if I could finally breathe."

Haru untangled herself from him and stood up with her hands clasped at her back. "I told you before, didn't I? The main reason I accepted the transfer was because I was thinking of you. When I see you, it feels like I can finally heal. I wonder why, Dino-san?"

He wondered about that himself too.

His eyes dropped to her lips, and wondered if they could both figure out why if they kissed.

Dino swallowed the nonexistent lump in his throat.

Probably not.

"It's still a little awkward for me to be around you, since you've changed a bit, too." Her eyes studied his broad chest and his strong arms. She caught herself staring a little too much and looked away before he could catch her. "I just don't want you to be distant to me. So I'm sorry, Dino-san. I'm sorry for treating you coldly last night. I just… wanted to tell you that."

He seemed stuck for words, but after a while he felt his shoulders relax. "You know I'm always here for you, Haru."

"I know." She lowered herself and hesitated for a heartbeat before she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for that."

Dino ended up spending the remainder of the night staring up at the ceiling, thinking how her kiss seared his cheek. He patted the left side of his chest, and whispered forcefully to no one in particular.

"Calm down, you bloke."

* * *

 **A/N: I'd really appreciate some reviews. Thanks for reading :3**


	7. Chapter 6: Sensual Problems

**Pegasus In A Field Of Spring**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

 **A/N: I updated the Adult Version first, and after a few tweaks here and there i posted here. I hope the plots would flow well together even without the cut parts.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Sensual Problems Call for Sensual Measures**

Haru realized she'd started watching Dino semi-inappropriately, especially when he walked, taking long strides with the muffled thud of his heels against the floor and his dark suit pants that were tailored to fit his long legs perfectly. His blonde tresses were a sight for her sore eyes without her even knowing why, and they would rustle a little every time he would run his long calloused fingers through them. Sometimes they'd end up sticking out at different angles when he would mess it up a little too often at given times, beckoning her to run her own fingers and feel them herself.

He would always be dressed as a businessman, in different pairs of suits and pants tailored just for him, always in black as though he was attending a funeral. Given their profession, funerals tend to pop up most of the time anyway. But the dark attire would always be offset by the white button-down crisp shirt underneath all that black. After knowing him for quite a period, she'd always see him wearing that get-up. The unofficial uniform of a Mafia, as she would like to call it. On weekends, and after-office hours though, it would always be some t-shirt, mostly dark green or black, and his khakis with him. Or shorts.

Dino had a contagious smile, very charming and positive, and his body was (she was ashamed she was even noticing this) nicely toned and could make even Adonis weep. The way in which his wide chest filled out his white shirt, the flex in his exposed forearms when he'd roll the sleeves up to his elbows and in the way his collarbone would peek out from the two popped buttons was capable to make one stay up at night wondering just how the hell was it possible for someone to be so darn perfect. Haru herself, particularly.

That was her opinion anyway, she might be noticing such things about him then because of her giving up on Tsuna and her instinct to find some other person to turn her feelings to. And probably because she was reaching that age where her hormones were kind of hard to keep control. A female had her needs as well.

By the time she really noticed it herself that she was staring, she realized Carlo smirking at him. "What?" She prided the fact that she didn't stutter. She actually would have, but it seemed her throat and nerves were cooperating nicely with her. They were both following Dino and Romario to the meeting room, walking a little few feet behind the two men and out of earshot if they whispered low enough.

The ginger-head subordinate wiggled his eyebrows. "Was it nice? Sleeping in boss' arms?"

Through sheer force of will, and through losing a piece of herself after numerous missions and killings, Haru managed to quell down the rush of blood to her cheeks by clearing her throat. The memories of what happened the night before made her inwardly cringe.

Her outburst and breaking down in front of her new boss should have embarrassed her, if it wasn't for what happened after. The gentleman that he was, Dino had wanted to escort her to her room using another route of stairs since she hadn't needed the prodding that would come up if they ever did bump into the other family members. She had wanted to say yes, but then she had suddenly felt so lonely and so cold she had just blurted out that she'd want to stay there a little longer with him in his office. Somehow when she woke up in the morning, she was in the middle of his king-sized bed in what she later learned was the extra bedroom attached to his office. That was when she realized the extra door behind his desk led to the very room she and Dino were sleeping at.

Upon seeing his still slumbering figure on the couch a few feet to the left of the bed, looking quite uncomfortable in the piece of furniture that had barely fit his long legs, she bolted right out his bed. In her haste to avoid hitting the bedside table, Haru rammed herself into the dresser. Dino immediately sat up from the couch, hand reaching for the gun that was never there.

She remembered with clarity how dumbfounded he looked, his bedhead sticking out here and there, when Carlo opened the door right at that moment.

"We were sleeping separately, Carlo-san. There's no such thing as sleeping in his arms or whatever."

The finality in her words was clear cut, and Carlo ended up shrugging it off. Well, he had plenty of time to tease her if her wanted. She wasn't going back to Japan anytime soon, anyway.

Just as they stepped into the meeting room to discuss on security matters, an explosion shook the second floor they were all at. Their bodies hunched from the loud noise. Immediately, Haru's eyes searched for the Cavallone Decimo, only to see him bolting out of the room. Romario was speaking hurried instructions into the speaker on his suit lapel as he hurried off someplace else under his boss' command. "Dino-san!" She quickly followed him out onto the other wing.

He turned his head a little to the side to look at her as they both hurried to the adjacent wing. "Are you okay, Haru?" She nodded, still a little shaken. Getting caught in the middle of gunfights and explosions were two different things.

"Boss!" A subordinate was running towards them, his black suit covered in fine ashes from top to bottom. "The server room!" They followed the small man and had to cringe as smoke filled their lungs.

Alarms blared and cussing filled the entire wing of the mansion when everyone at deck were trying to put off the flames licking every corner of the once humble server room. When the commotion had died down, they were left to stare at a small black room with a large hole through the wall. The plastic from the double computers melted off and crusted the floor, all the logbooks were toast. Nothing in the room was spared.

"It was caused by a spark. Apparently the room was a little bit too dry that the dust gathered in the room had been just enough to cause a spark. And… boom! The explosion through that wall though, didn't expect _that_ to happen."

Dino ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation and sighed through his nose. They were supposed to put the server room upgrade on hold but it seemed like Haru would have to work on it a little bit sooner. "Thanks for the heads up, Carlo." He saw Haru looking at him. "What do you think, Haru?"

Her brow rose. "About what, Dino-san?"

"Well, I'd like for us to focus on the servers, but you're probably busy with the data archives."

She paused for a few seconds, before finally shrugging. "I can teach some of your subordinates to archive what data we have left, and I can start on the server room if you want."

He couldn't help the grin on his face. "Really? You can do that?" As if designing a new server room complete with new firewalls and online security systems was a walk in the park, Haru nodded easily. "I can, with some help, that is."

* * *

The untimely explosion had hindered some transactions, and until Haru could complete her work, the security at the Cavallone estate was at its most vulnerable state. It wasn't that the men were incapable of round-the-clock patrols, but having digitized security was most welcomed. Therefore, the executives have agreed on prioritizing the construction of a new server room, and pushed box weapon maintenance back a few weeks. They were still skilled combatants even without them.

"You're going to the Varia?" His brows practically disappeared into his hairline. Haru nodded as she handed him the necessary paperwork for the oncoming construction from across his desk. Dino put down the pen in his hand and tried to appear disinterested in her decision as he studied her proposals. But he was still a curious man. "Why?"

"A few years back when I was training, I helped Irie-san and Spanner-san construct their mainframe." She watched him nod, "I need some information to start from scratch, Dino-san."

"Yes, of course. It's not like you can just pull out something out of nowhere, huh. But the Varia…" He was convinced Haru was more than capable to take care of herself, but it was still the Varias they were talking about. Even if they were an extension of the Vongola and indirectly an ally of his Family, they were still a group of very unpredictable assassins.

"I'm coming with you, then." He quickly stood up, stretching his arms as he did so. Haru frowned at his offer though. "You don't have to, Dino-san. I can handle this on my own."

"This is still technically our problem, and I can't just send someone over to deal with the Varias."

Well, she couldn't really argue with that. It was just that she didn't want to meet the Varias when Dino was with her. There was no telling what the men would do when they see her working with someone other than the Vongola. Belphegor would probably torment her with his sick innuendos about working with Dino and Leviathan would probably go on and on about loyalty and whatnot.

Turned out her expectations were true.

Dino had to leave her to her own devices as he went to meet Xanxus, and ten minutes into her studying the blueprints of the underground vault and paperwork Irie left behind, Belphegor was already threatening to test his newly-sharpened knives on her.

"Please leave me alone, Belphegor-san." Her hand was itching to stab him in the arm with her sharp hairpin, but she resisted.

The last time she fought with any of them, she ended up being nearly comatose. Squalo had raved on and on about how weak she was and that she should get some more meat on her scrawny self or else she'd die of lack of body mass. The only one who hadn't been hard on her was Lussuria, unsurprisingly. The man welcomed her with open arms, and during her two-week stay she had felt the most comfortable with the Sun Flame user. She even learned how to utilize her small Sun Flames to treat small wounds.

Belphegor got bored from observing her and thought it a good idea to use her as target practice. "So what's this…" A small knife flew from his long fingers, whizzed past her cheek and embedded itself in the wall. Haru ignored the growing grin on his face, and turned another page of the logbook she was studying. "You got bored of screwing around in Japan and now you're whoring yourself to Cavallone, huh. Oh, and don't move. I need to see if my control's improving."

Another knife flew past her right cheek, lightly cutting her in the process. Seeing the thin line of blood on her face, he sat on the corner of the table she was using and hunched over her figure. "Itadakimasu." He drawled out, his tongue ready to stretch over to lap up her cut.

Haru wasted not more than a second when she ducked her head and pushed her shoulder into his solar plexus. He grunted as his back collided with the wall, dropping the knife that was in his hand a mere seconds ago when she shoved her arm onto his throat. "I told you to leave me alone, Belphegor-san."

He smirked down at her, fully knowing that she knew he could have pinned her down if he so wanted to. "Struck a nerve, didn't I?" He laid a hand against the small of her back, slowly sliding it dangerously low. The movement caught her off guard for a second and he used that time window to turn their bodies around, pinning her front against the wall as he held her wrists behind her back. "So? Which one of those were true?"

"Get off me." She growled when she felt his chest press against her back, lapping up the small cut on her cheek. Her body practically trembled from the anger inside her when he whispered into her ear. "So feisty. I bet Cavallone Decimo likes that."

Haru snapped her head backwards, almost cursing when he managed to prevent himself from getting his nose crushed. He stepped back from her, his lopsided grin egging her on. "Whoa there," she turned around and kicked him in the guts, never sparing him a second to catch his breath when she shoved her whole body against him. He winced a little when her elbow dug into his chest, her arm pressed even harder against his throat. She pressed harder, almost choking him when he chuckled at her.

"I told you to _leave me alone_."

"Are you two finished or should I stab the both of you?" The annoyed tone that came out of Squalo was enough for Haru to sober up and step back from the Storm Flame user. He waited silently by the doorway for her to smooth her ruffled clothes and gather her notes into a pile. "Come on, Cavallone's waiting for you. And Belphegor, you better watch your mouth next time or else we're going to have to deal with angry men from Japan."

He didn't even try to match his pace with her hurried ones as they walked down the corridor towards the mezzanine floor. "Did you learn enough? Although I fail to see how studying the logbooks can help you."

Haru nodded. Squalo didn't see or hear her, but he didn't really care either way. "Thank you for letting me in." She didn't really expect him to acknowledge her, this _was_ the man who pushed her into the middle of a raging sea that one time and earned herself the nickname 'fishbait' within the Varia henchmen. But he surprised her when he did answer her. "You are still an ally. Cavallone too."

They walked down the flight of stairs and she re-joined with Dino. Xanxus was nowhere to be found, which was better since she didn't want to spend any second more in the mansion.

* * *

It had been a little over a week since the server room explosion. She had already proposed a layout for the new underground vault that would serve as a proper server room, one that the Cavallones badly needed especially since their last security breach that she had learned about barely months before she was sent by the Vongolas.

She had held back at first, knowing that the costs needed for a complete and fully functional server room might be a little too much for a family that had only the minimal numbers of servers that provided just enough for security. Dino, however, was painfully aware how important it was for them to not fall behind, and asked her to just go all out. So she did, and it would take them at least 4 months to get everything built and sorted. Irie and Spanner would be helping out as well, since Cavallones helped out a lot during the ten-year leap. That, and Haru had been under their wing for quite a while and it was technically her first independent programming assignment, so they wanted to oversee things.

Haru's initial response had been to rebel, but she knew better than to do that. They were just concerned, and since she was still a Vongola then they had to make sure that she wouldn't do anything to ruin that reputation by screwing up. And of course, "because we wanted to see how Haru-kun was doing," was what Irie had told her over Skype. Spanner had nodded as well, and the small smile her mentors were sporting at that time did her in. She understood that they cared. So she agreed.

"… _Okay then. I understand."_

 _The dimple on his left cheek showed up when Irie's smile turned into that silly grin of his. "We knew you would."_

 _She sighed, "You didn't have to say that though. About wanting to see how I was faring."_

" _But it's true, right Spanner?" From next to him, the mechanic hummed a response. "You kind of just left, you know. We didn't get to say goodbye. Giannini was freaked out since no one would help around the lab anymore."_

" _...Sorry about that."_

" _No! No! It's okay, you don't have to be sorry! Hahaha!"_

She only wished Irie wasn't as forgiving. Her going away without telling anyone about it had been selfish on her part. Above all, even after what she had gone through, they were still Family.

Therefore, while waiting for the installments, the Cavallones immediately worked on the abduction cases and strategic plans. Haru hoped that her skills would help them enough. IT and box weapon maintenance were her specialty, but she could still hold her own in combat, if it ever came down to it.

Currently though, she was in her pair of sweatpants and a hello kitty baggy shirt, tiptoeing to reach the topmost kitchen shelf for the larger-than-life mixing bowl she saw one of the maids use a few nights ago. Reason? The reason was simple enough. After a few weeks of having her meals prepared, she wanted to cook something herself for once. As a token of appreciation for the family who took her in after she practically fled the Vongolas.

But at the moment, she couldn't really reach the bowl because she was short, and her stomach was growling. Gritting her teeth, she tried jumping a little, and huffed in frustration as her fingers managed to graze the side of the bowl but not enough to grab it.

"Curse to all tall people." She muttered grudgingly under her breath.

A whiff of familiar aftershave was the first thing that answered her before a pair of hands plucked the mixing bowl off the shelf for her. "What kind of curse would that be, I wonder. Here you go, Haru."

Wordlessly, she turned around with the bowl still in her hands, hitting her savior on his abdomen with her infamous sharp elbow. She gasped when he let out something akin to a cough, and stood ramrod straight in fear of hitting him again. "Sorry! I-I didn't realize you were that close."

Dino was slightly bent over from the unexpected pang, and slowly straightened up with both hands put up before him. He chuckled a little bit to ease her panic, but the pain was no joke. "N-Nah, it's okay. I was at fault too."

She wanted to say something, but decided against it and placed the bowl onto the countertop behind her. "Dino-san, you're up early."

After fleeing his office where she had spent the night at, leaving a very confused and still drowsy Dino to deal with an over-excited Carlo, she felt a little uneasy. Despite how she had treated him, he was still kind to her. That guilt in her finally brought her to the kitchen. She had asked the maids to take a break from breakfast for the next few days, and after her inner debate on what to cook and what to avoid, she finally made up her mind to make some pancakes.

He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I have a special appointment with someone today."

Dino stepped aside and watched her empty the bags of flour into the bowl, eyeballing the amount of milk and butter as she stirred the contents. "In your office?"

He nodded, and swallowed that lump in his throat when he realized she was wearing an apron and looked extremely domestic. As if she had never stabbed grown men with that hairpin she had used to twist her hair into a bun. All the could-be scenarios flooded his head as he watched silently when she distractedly wiped off flour from her cheeks with a shoulder while trying to get the temperature of the pan just right.

"So what made you decide to cook breakfast? I'm not complaining though, just so you know."

With years of practice and just a little bit of talent, she flipped the pancakes perfectly. "As thanks."

"For?"

She looked up from spooning the batter, a little bit of a smile tugging the corners of her lips. "Listening to me, and letting me sleep in your room."

Haru turned around to face him fully. "It's been quite a while since I slept that soundly."

He could feel himself grinning, and he didn't really care if he looked like a proud boy then. "You're welcome."

Maybe she was finally opening up to him, and he'd be hard-pressed to give up on seeing her smile again. His mission to see her lips tugged up had finally begun to see some progress, although small. When he caught himself watching her unblinkingly, he cleared his throat and tried to make himself useful.

"So um… can I help you with anything?"

She looked up from flipping the pancakes, eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I can't trust the kitchen with you, Dino-san."

He frowned, "Hey now."

Haru shrugged as she piled the cooked breakfast into a big plate. "I appreciate your offer, but I'd like to spare Romario-san from trouble."

"Geez, cut me some slack won't ya."

The look he gave her was that of a kicked puppy, and she couldn't help herself from smiling just a little bit more. After a few seconds of weighing things over, Haru figured she could let him help her set the table. He was appraising his surprisingly neat work at the end of the table when Haru stood next to him to join him in the appraisal.

She looked up at him when he suddenly seemed to be deep in thought about something else. "Dino-san?"

"Hey, Haru. Have you ever heard of Amedeo Castana?"

The name caught her off-guard, before she appeared to look amused. "I've seen him a couple of times when I was with the Vongola. Charming person, if I must say so."

He pretended that last part didn't make him a wee bit jealous. He had met the man a few times on a few occasions, but he hadn't really talked to the tycoon. When he had talked to the man over the phone for their appointment, he had mentioned about getting news of Haru's transfer to the Cavallones.

"So you know him. I see."

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, and watched as Carlo and Romario took their seats, pleased smiles on their faces. "Just wanted to ask, is all."

* * *

(12 months ago)

 _Harsh pants filled the otherwise silent room. After a few while a gruff voice spoke up, hoarse and urgent. "How's that? Tell me you like it."_

Haru shifted her weight onto her left foot, trying not to bolt out of the door at the ridiculousness of it all. Instead she let her brown eyes scan the room. The chamber was enormous, it was opulent. She'd been to quite a number of offices of high-ranking mafia bosses before, but none of them were quite as luxurious as the one she was standing in. Even the Vongolas had no such luxury, where their money was focused on cutting-edge technology instead.

Gold-leaf cornices, white satin walls, luxurious burgundy carpeting, antiques and paintings on the wall. One wall was a floor to ceiling window, obscured by sheer copper drapes. A trio of crystal chandeliers was dimly lit. Everything screamed money. Lots and lots of money. In comparison to herself; the black suit and long pants that Reborn gave her, even if they were tailored to fit her perfectly and the fabric woven from the highest grade of thread, was modest at best. Coupled with a bare face, Haru couldn't have felt more out of place.

 _White dentures bit onto vermillion lips as she goaded him to move faster. There was a giggle, and nothing else as a l_ _arge moan tore off those red lips._

Haru cringed at the sound.

She supposed the Cervo Famiglia were indeed proud of their wealth, and also proud of their aversion to anything sensual as well when she spotted two huge phallic structures flanking each sides of the floor-to-ceiling windows. The chamber could be easily mistaken as an office or ballroom, if she ignored the large erected penis statues by the large window.

Opened glass bottles of tequila and mostly vodka lined a wall, and half-filled cups were scattered all over the floor. Three women, thin and voluptuous, and in varying stages of undress, lounged about the floor, some drinking and others already passed out.

Farthest back against the wall, the man she was supposed to be meeting on behalf of Tsuna was sprawled in a king-sized bed, eyes closed and his head tilted back. His perfectly styled hair that she was used to seeing during some of his occasional visits to the Vongola's Headquarters was now mussed. His right hand circled the neck of a sake bottle instead of his favorite brandy, while his left was buried into the neckline of a woman at his side, the one he had been pleasuring himself with a few seconds ago. His dark blue silk robe was open, and his trousers were at his ankles.

Apparently another woman was in charge of bringing him to completion even after Haru had to stand there and watch him render two women to nirvana. What on earth did he swallow to be able to satiate that many women in one sitting, she wondered disgustedly. Amedeo Castana, the head of the Cervo Family groaned, feeling himself coming undone. His mouth kicked up into an appreciative smirk as he patted her head affectionately. "Good girl."

Haru wished she had turned away before he could notice her watching. But that wasn't to be as he caught her eyes before she could even do that.

"Who are you?" he asked thickly. His voice was noticeably slurred, his gestures undirected.

It was her first time actually having to see something right out of AVs (she had to watch an entire season of The Office Lady due to a mission before) and having to sit through the entire ordeal was a little bit too much for her. She inwardly cursed Reborn and his schemes. No wonder the Arcobaleno had smirked at her before she flew to the Cervo's Mansion earlier that day, muttering to her that she'd come out a fully-fledged adult after this particular mission.

Damn that baby-faced, ancient old man. Even if she seemed unfeeling as of lately, it didn't mean that she was completely without emotions.

Suddenly the fact that she was a 21-year old virgin who might end up a spinster seemed to be a major setback in terms of her intimidating prowess. She steadied her breath and even attempted a smile. "Haru Miura, sir. You offered me the honor to meet you in your personal chamber earlier today."

Honor. She wanted to grovel and apologize to the very word for using it in this context.

His once perfectly arched eyebrows when he was sober frowned upon hearing her name. "I don't remember. You're too far, come 'ere."

Haru resisted the urge to retch and stepped forward a couple of inches. He scowled impatiently, pushing the blonde he had been banging like a bunny aside and told the ring-less Vongola family member to come closer when he noted the envelope with the Sky Flame Seal. Just like she had been trained, Haru slightly inclined her body forward in a bow. If she was Gokudera, the Storm Guardian wouldn't have bothered with the pleasantries after seeing the vulgar lifestyle of the young thirty-something Cervo tycoon.

"I am one of Vongola's official messenger. I was sent here to the States to deliver this important package from Judaime to the Cervo Family. Another similar package will also be sent out to another ally in San Diego later this evening."

Amedeo contemplated her quietly from his bed, a behemoth of dark bedposts, satin sheets, and fluff-looking throw pillows. The goose down comforter was thick enough to swallow her whole. He regarded her from under long, blond lashes as he leaned back, against the headboard while he kicked away his drawstring pants and tied his robe together loosely. If she wasn't so annoyed at him, she would notice that the pants were the only thing that wasn't luxurious in the room.

His open robe parted wide over his chest and revealed a sliver of black tattoo, curled over his left pectoral muscle; that bore his Family's coat of arms. His skin was pale and mainly without scars, yet his musculature did not fit one of a simple, financial mogul that he was publicly known for. And Haru knew all too well, with the right dosage of Sun Flames, scars could be healed.

"Haru," She didn't flinch, even when she found it uncomfortable how he'd use her given name so straightforwardly. "…so you are a subordinate of Vongola."

She nodded, answering with a firm "yes". As she straightened up, her eyes caught his stormy grey ones and inwardly shivered.

The man was, without doubt, attractive. Haru had been living under the same roof with the Vongola Guardians, and most of them were equally handsome men as well, so she was supposed to be immune to pretty faces. What caught her attention though, the first time she had met him at a dinner party before, was that he had clear and mysterious grey eyes, and his blonde tresses. His hair was a few shades lighter than one she was used to see, almost nearing platinum blonde, but the dimples that would appear on both of his cheeks when he would smile was what made women flock to him. For a fleeting second, he reminded her of another man with blonde hair and a charming smile at Italy.

Amedeo straightened up more and as he shooed his women away, he motioned for Haru to come closer for the envelope. "Come to think of it, I recognize you. You and the Vongola Guardians were childhood friends with the Decimo, am I right?"

She nodded, handing over her envelope. The door clicked when it closed after the last of the women filed out, and just as she retracted her hand, he startled her when he caught her small gloved hand in his. A smile lit up his face, the charming dimples making a show again as he held her caught hand to his lips. She managed to reign her anger in when he kissed the back of her hand, the corners of his lips peeking up from the black of her glove. "It's not rare for Famiglias to have female members… "

Haru knew where he was going at. The Vongola women were used to hearing the same things. Chrome especially, being the second prettiest of woman in all of Vongola right after Kyoko.

"Do you frequently service those men?"

There it was.

His gaze was as grey and blank as a rainy spring afternoon. Testing her.

Like every other men she had met, they would mock her and see if she was easily flustered and bullied. She was honestly sick of it.

Tension ran up her jaw. "I am not without standards, sir." She figured she'd get him frazzled up, just because two could play at it. Reborn had left her to Bianci once, to learn the art of seduction, even if he had laughingly said it would be funny if she had to use it someday.

Well, she was going to test that out since she was getting tired of being looked down upon just because she wasn't as competent as I-pin, Chrome or the Poisonous Scorpion herself.

She tugged her hand back with a little bit of force, making his smirk widen, and smoothed her palms over the lapels of her suit, aware of his eyes following her hands as she brushed over the swells of her breasts. She nearly rolled her eyes.

Men.

Haru further approached the side of his bed, maintaining eye contact. His lips parted imperceptibly, when she reached his side. "But I've never heard any complaints." The words came out dark, full of promise. Perfectly seductive after all those minutes practicing in the mirror and getting herself ridiculed when she had to practice using a hologram Ikemen.

The man took the bait, abdomen clenching as he straightened, then slid out of bed. He threw the important envelope onto his bed. In one step, he swallowed the distance between them. "Is that an invitation?" he asked. Although he was barefoot, he loomed easily over her, such that she had to crane her neck. He smelled like oak and spice, masculine and expensive. Cologne that could get two ally families wage a war over rights.

For a second, Haru was quite surprised he'd taken the bait. She hadn't known she could excite a man quite as handsome as he was.

"Would you like it to be?" she whispered, acutely aware that he was backing her into the wall. Number four in on the list of dangerous-positions-most-spies-should-avoid.

"Yes," he said. "Would you?"

She caught his heavy-lidded gaze. "Depends." He stepped forward, and the wall met her solidly between the shoulder blades.

"Then come in bed with me."

Haru blinked, slowly. "What?"

Nonchalantly, Amedeo began to work at the knot holding his robe together. "I want you to service me, and you just agreed. Well, kind of. What's the confusion?" Then, smoothly, he shrugged the robe off his shoulders and stood before her, naked as the day he was born. Pale skin stretched over the lean muscles of his shoulders, too thick to belong to a businessman.

Haru was startled for all of half a second, before she realized Amedeo was trying to shock her and gauge her reaction. Unfortunately for him, Haru excelled at tests. She thought fast. In this situation, a virgin would blush and push him off. A female spy would accept his offer and sleep with him.

The problem was that she was both a virgin and a spy. So she improvised to not give herself away.

Rather, the most important thing to ask was what _did_ he swallow for him to want to go at it, _again_.

She made a show of glancing down at his mini-me, refusing to allow her brain to process the image. Then she raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Amedeo froze.

Silence echoed through the room, and Haru didn't dare to breathe. Finally, he bent to retrieve his robe. A wry smile played upon his features. "I see to have embarrassed myself before you."

Relief fought to overtake her features, but she stood with her hip cocked. "As in…"

"It's never failed before."

Haru stared openly. "You're telling me that flashing your genitals and telling girls to sleep with you works every time?"

"Not precisely, but I've never been turned down before."

"How?"

He turned around to look at her, tightening the knot on his robe. That smirk was there on his face again when he spoke up. "Money, dear Haru. Money. Some women would do anything in order to live a luxurious life. My ex-wife included."

"Of course."

The young Don chuckled at her flat tone and flopped onto the bed. He patted the space next to him. "Come here, _cara_. I'd like to know you a little better, since you intrigue me so much." Haru shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Sir. But I came here only to deliver the sealed envelope."

Amadeo grinned, mischievous and boyish. "But you kept me entertained a little while ago," his eyes roved over her petite figure. "Even though you were probably testing out your seduction techniques on this poor guinea pig."

That somehow wrenched out a little smile from her. The man, although he was promiscuous and insatiable as a bull on rocks, was kind of friendly. And just a little bit cute. She decided he was harmless. Another fact that needed to be put in her post-mission reports.

"So you knew." The playful pout he gave almost made her cough out a laugh, but she refrained. Then a second later he instantly flashed that smirk again.

"So which one are you? A spy? Or a virgin?"

Haru shook her head lightly, and excused herself. She was halfway across the room and ready to step out when she stopped and turned around.

"Both."

* * *

(A year later)

She stayed on her spot near the door, staring at the pair of men and the woman in the farthest end of the office. Just seconds ago, she had been looking forward to display the rolled up plan in her hands over Dino's large desk to discuss about the construction. But then the excitement fizzled away into open-eyed wonder at the scene before her.

It was like watching two Dinos. And a female version of her new boss.

"Castana…san?"

Said name broke out into a wide grin as he saw her, grey eyes gleaming with recognition. Immediately he stood up and closed the distance between them to envelope Haru in a hug. The tinge of pink on her cheeks as he pulled back to give a kiss onto the back of her gloved and didn't go unnoticed, and Dino suddenly felt the spark of rivalry.

"Haru, sweetie. Haven't seen you for quite some time, but you are still as beautiful as ever. Right, dear sister?"

Her brown eyes turned to the mentioned sibling who remained seated on the swivel chair, her darker orbs eyeing her mischievously. If anything, Haru thought that she looked more like Dino than she did her biological brother. Burgundy lips curved up in a friendly manner as Amedeo Castana's sister tilted her head in greeting. "Hello there. Never thought I'd get to see a female subordinate in this godforsaken place, Cavallone."

In saying that, she turned to leer at Dino, who was trying to cover up his envy with a perfected smile. A smile that was more on the wry side. Trying to push a few buttons on her family's to-be ally, just for the heck of it, she turned around to lean over the desk separating her and a visibly disturbed-looking mafia boss. Propping her chin on top of her folded hands, Serena Castana smirked as she watched the slight tugging on his jaw when the Japanese woman spoke freely with her younger twin brother. "Didn't peg you to be the kind of guys who fancies Orientals. Though that's not a problem anyway. She's cute."

The pair of brown eyes that immediately glanced at her glowed a little, betraying the calm in his unchanging posture. "I don't see Haru that way."

It must have left a bad taste in his mouth when he said that, because his smile immediately leveled into a straight line. He was such a bad liar.

Amedeo had always been the friendly and unsuspecting twin, and she had always been the cheekier half. He probably didn't even notice how Dino's brown eyes looked away from the duo immediately as Haru praised the man for his newly-learned Japanese. No doubt a move to try an impress the youngest in the room, and had little to do with making the jealousy apparent in the poor Cavallone Decimo's eyes to be made known. The growing heat in his brown gaze was mostly a side-effect, but it got Serena amused. "Sheesh, I was kidding, aite. What's got your panties in a bunch anyway."

Clearing his throat and obviously trying to make himself sound as composed as he was even with the distraction of his future ally chatting up the only woman he obviously fancied, Dino turned his eyes to the contracts on his desk. "So, I take it that both of you agree with the settlement."

She leaned back and sank herself into the leather chair, one side of her lips kicked up in amusement. Waving over her hand, she called out to her other half. "Hey, Amedeo. Stop dawdling and get your ass here. We're signing the contract."

Dino made the mistake of looking up from the papers in time to see Amedeo Castana wink at a pleasantly smiling Haru. A sweetly smiling Haru, with her cheeks painted with a tinge of pink. He didn't even realize his eyes were actually imagining the growing tint of pink on her cheekbones and the adoration in her eyes as she watched Amedeo sat himself in the seat to sign on the elaborately discussed contract.

In reality though, her lips were kicked up just a little as she watched how Serena was helping her brother with what to sign and what to read just like how a mother would. Her cheeks were, in Romario's eyes, nowhere near blushing.

From his place next to his boss, Romario stifled a sigh.


End file.
